The Family
by trallgorda
Summary: Who is the Family, and what do they want with Daniel?
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note--Evil plot bunny!!

Prologue

The meeting included only the most senior staff. Together they gathered around the table in the meeting room, falling silent only when the one known as Pater stood up.

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice. I knew all of you had plans for today, so let's get started. It has come to my attention that there is an individual that would be an asset to our group. He is brilliant and experienced in most areas of our research. I wish to bring him in."

"Pater?" a man asked, raising his hand. "Who is he?"

Pater pointed a remote at the screen on the wall behind him, and it lit up with images and information. Prominently placed was a head-and-shoulders shot of a man with blue eyes, sandy hair, and glasses. "His name is Daniel Jackson. He is the only child of the late Melburn and Claire Jackson, archeologists and Egyptologists. He is the only grandchild of Nicholas Ballard, the famed archeologist-gone-crazy who went missing a few years back. Dr. Jackson has doctorates in anthropology, archeology, and linguistics, and he obtained those at a young age." Images of text-filled pages flashed on the screen behind him. "What you're seeing now are all of his published works, and there are a good number of them, but he stopped publishing when he moved to Colorado."

"What is he doing there?" someone else asked.

Pater smiled. "Working at the Cheyenne Mountain complex."

More than one person looked surprised. "The SGC?" Everyone in the Family knew about Stargate Command—in fact, they knew all about what went on there, but this was the first time Pater had suggested bringing someone in from a high-security position. Daniel Jackson would not be an easy man to reach, let alone make disappear.

"We will have to be very careful how we approach him," Pater said, turning off the screen. "This will be a long process, but I am confident we can pull this off. Let's start planning."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

"Daniel?"

"Hm?"

"You've been humming for the last ten minutes," Sam said, looking across the table at her teammate. "What's up?"

"Nothing," he said, still sounding distracted. A moment later, he started humming again.

"You're still humming," she told him. "C'mon. I haven't heard you this happy in a long while."

Daniel looked away from his translations. "Happy?"

Sam nodded, pinning him with a look that demanded answers.

"I guess I'm just in a good mood."

Sam leaned forward. "Care to share?"

"Care to share what?"

"Why you're in such a good mood!" Sam reminded him. Daniel wasn't usually so dense, so it had to be something major.

"I had a good weekend," he said, opening up a book and flipping through it.

Finally! Something concrete! "What happened?" she asked, hoping he would tell her.

"Oh, I went to a bookstore, had coffee, relaxed."

Sam leaned back in her chair, disappointed. "Is that all?"

"Yep."

She looked at him, certain that he wasn't telling the whole truth. There had to be more to his weekend. Why were guys usually happy? From her experience, guys were happiest when they met a girl they really liked. Taking her courage in hand, she asked, "What did you guys talk about?"

"History, mostly," Daniel said, still very distracted. "She was a history major in college."

YES! Daniel had met a girl, and he didn't realize that he had just spilled that fact to a co-worker. "What's her name?" If she could just keep questioning him while he was distracted, she could get the whole story without having to pry each detail out of him. She knew it wasn't any of her business, but she wanted to hear all about this girl and what Daniel thought of her. Daniel had been alone for far too long.

"Christy," he said, still flipping pages. "We both reached for the same book."

Did Daniel even realize how much he was revealing? Probably not. "Was last weekend the first time you met?"

"No, we…" Daniel stopped, looked up from his book, and stared at her. "Sam, what were we just talking about?"

She couldn't help herself; she grinned. "Christy."

Daniel groaned. "You sly, conniving…"

"So, when _did_ you guys meet?"

He sighed. "You can't be that curious about my social life. Jack's the only one who ever mentions it, and that's mostly to say something disparaging."

Sam grinned and shook her head. "Daniel, I'm female. Most females love to hear about this stuff, regardless whether it's a girl friend or a guy friend telling them. You met a girl named Christy. What's she like?"

He gave up. "She's…well, incredible, to tell you the truth. She's very warm and kind to everyone she meets. She has a great sense of humor and she tells the funniest jokes—they're not bawdy jokes, either. They're just good and funny ones. Also, she finds my jokes funny, which is very gratifying."

"How long have you known her?"

"We met three weeks ago in a bookstore…"

"Where you both reached for the same book."

"I told you about that?"

Sam nodded. "How many times have you guys been out?"

"Four times. One night for dinner, another night for a play, and twice for coffee at a café in town. Any other questions?"

"I'll take 'Future Plans' for one hundred," Sam said, leaning her head on her hands.

Daniel chuckled. "Meaning, what are we planning on doing next? Well, this Saturday is her choice, and she said that she's planned a surprise. All she's told me about it is what to wear, and before you ask, jeans, sneakers, and a regular shirt."

Sam thought about this. "Hmm. Sounds like she's planned something fun."

"I wish I knew," Daniel complained. "Can you give me some insight?"

Sam thought about this. "Well, usually, if I were to ask a guy to dress like that, I would be planning something casual—a hike, a picnic, a trip to an amusement park, a trip to a park, boating…Something like that."

"I think it might be a picnic," Daniel said thoughtfully. "We were talking about food during our last date, and she said that she makes good potato salad."

"It might be," Sam concurred. "You lucky dog, you. Meeting somebody nice."

"Meeting somebody nice?" Jack said as he walked in. "Who'd you meet, Carter?"

"Not me, sir," Sam said, trying very hard to keep from laughing. "Daniel."

Daniel groaned as Jack turned to him and raised an eyebrow. "Daniel?"

"Yes, I've met someone, yes, we've gone on dates, and _yes_, we're doing something this weekend," Daniel said, trying to forestall trouble. He glared at Sam, promising death and dismemberment if she said anything else.

"He likes her," Sam said, unable to resist teasing. "He was humming earlier."

Daniel kept himself from killing her only with Herculean effort. "Sam!"

"So, she's hum-worthy," Jack said, taking a seat. "Cool. The last person to walk around this base humming was Carter."

Daniel gave a silent cheer as Sam blushed.

"So, Danny-boy, what's her name?"

"Christy. Christy Harrison."

"Cool. And you like her?"

"Quite a bit," Daniel admitted. "That's why I'm going to change the topic now."

Jack had to laugh. "Okay, change the topic. How's the project going?"

Daniel shot Jack a look of deep gratitude. "Well, I _think_ the inscriptions on this device are Sintaic in origin, but so far, I haven't found a reference point to work with. I've tried turning it upside down, to the right, to the left and every other way I can think of, and none of the symbols look like anything in this book. The closest I can come to these symbols and their appearance is to compare them with nu shu, Chinese women's writing. I think this symbol here may be a possible reference point, but I'm still looking for it."

"Carter? Your opinion?"

The device is emitting a low EM field, but so far, all I can tell you is that it's a decorative paperweight with a battery. I haven't been able to figure out what it does or how to make it work, but it's early days yet."

"Cool. Teal'c and I have been reviewing the tapes, but other than images of the two of you poking around in the dirt, there's not much to see. General Hammond says that since it's Friday, and since we've worked hard all week, we can start the weekend as soon as we like."

"Oh, the General rocks," Sam said. "I can head home now and pack a bag and be back here this evening. I want to keep working."

"Negative," Jack said, pinning Sam with a glare. "This stuff can wait two days, Carter. You need some down time. Any moment now you're going to start talking in equations, and the last time you did that, it took a couple hours to stop you. Your orders now are to head home and spend the weekend relaxing. Understood?"

"Colonel, I'm perfectly…" she trailed off at Jack's expression. He was _serious_. "Okay, I'll spend the weekend chilling out. I'll follow orders."

"Good. See you on Monday, campers. Dismissed."

Sam and Daniel watched him go. "Wonder what's with him?" Daniel said, surprised at Jack's sudden insistence of making down time an order.

"Maybe he has a date, too," Sam teased.

Daniel glared at her.

--

Jack returned to General Hammond's office, fighting off his impending headache and thinking about his earlier meeting with his CO. He'd been in the middle of watching those tapes with Teal'c when he received the message that the General wanted to see him in his office ASAP. With a feeling of impending doom, he obeyed the summons and arrived at the General's office five minutes later.

"Colonel, good to see you," Hammond said, motioning him to a chair. "You're probably wondering why I've asked to see you."

"Just a bit, sir," Jack admitted. "We've already debriefed, so I figured it had to be something that doesn't have to do with our current mission."

"No, it doesn't," Hammond confirmed. "It has to do with a security breach that we've just learned about. Apparently, the breach happened two months ago, and it was hidden so well within our files that we just now detected it."

"How big a breach, sir?"

"Copies of all of SG-1's files, your mission reports, medical files, log entries, project reports, presentation transcriptions, _everything_ having to do with SG-1 was downloaded from our data banks. Our computer technicians are trying to trace the information and who is responsible for the breach, but in the meantime, I want SG-1 to disappear off the base for the weekend. I want no reports or communiqués sent—you're to have no computer presence at all."

Jack felt his eyebrows rise. _All _of their files was a _lot_ of information. Whoever had downloaded all of that stuff had to have some pretty good resources at their disposal. "NID?"

"We're not certain who it was, and besides, the NID most likely already have sufficient information. To be honest, we think it may be someone new. Just to be safe, though, I'm ordering SG-1 off the base."

"Understood, sir," Jack said. "I'll go inform the others. Teal'c and I can head up to my cabin, and Daniel and Carter will probably do…whatever it is they do on weekends. If I may ask, sir, why are we going off the base? Do you think there may be a mole here?"

"I think it's very likely. The breach was initiated on one of our computers, but the major work was done off-site. That's why we're having such a hard time tracking this person down. Having the four of you off the base will leave that mole without a way to watch you, since you're the only group with any significant down time this weekend."

"Gotcha, sir. Well, I'll go track down my campers. See you Monday, sir."

Now, heading back to Hammond's office, Jack had to wonder if there was more than one mole. Perhaps there was a mole on the base and a mole (or several moles!) off the base to keep an eye on them. But why, though? Still, it had been two months since the breach. Perhaps whoever it was had given up? Jack shook his head. No, when it came to nefarious dealings and plans, most people never gave up. Look at the Goa'ould! They'd been hell-bent on galactic domination for thousands of years.

"Colonel?" Hammond said as Jack arrived in the doorway. "I thought you were headed off base?"

"Just a little thought popped into my head," Jack admitted. "What if there are people off base who have been assigned to watch us?"

"Have you noticed anyone appearing to watch you?" With Jack's black ops training, Hammond knew that Jack would have noticed anything suspicious.

"Well, I would notice, and Teal'c would notice, but he's hardly ever off the base. I haven't seen anything odd. Carter would notice as well, but she hasn't said anything. Daniel…I'm not entirely sure. You know, he's good at picking up on weird things, but the said weird things have to do with rocks off world."

Hammond thought about this. "He's been doing training with you in clandestine techniques and methods, hasn't he?"

Jack nodded. "Consistently, every three months. He's gotten good at it, too. Still, you don't always expect things on the home front."

Hammond nodded slowly, thinking. "I doubt that Dr. Jackson will be in any danger over the weekend, but just in case, make sure you check in on him."

"Why don't you think Daniel would be in any danger?" Jack asked, a little confused. Most people—scientists, nurses, bad guys, off-world girls—found Daniel irresistible.

"Your files were downloaded first, followed by Teal'c's, and then Major Carter's. Dr. Jackson's files were downloaded later that day."

"Oh. Well, okay. I'll take a phone with me, just in case."

"Thank you, colonel. Have a nice trip."

--

Daniel unlocked the door to his apartment, nudged it open, and carried his stuff inside. He lugged the groceries to the kitchen, put them away, put his laptop and files in his bedroom on the desk, and made a beeline for the answering machine, where the little red light indicated he had a message.

_Hi, Daniel,_ he heard as Christy's voice filled the living room. _Just calling to say I can't wait for tomorrow. I'll meet you in the morning at eleven in Café Verre, and we can take my car from there. I just know you're going to love what we're doing. See you tomorrow, and make sure you come as perfect as you are._

Daniel grinned. She always said that whenever they made plans. "Come as perfect as you are."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

On Saturday, Daniel was up early, trying to pick an outfit for the day. The last time he'd been this worried about what to wear had been when he'd been about to marry Sha're. Kasuf had had a whole trunk of clothing for him to choose from for his wedding, and it had taken him three hours to pick something. Kasuf and Skaara had spent most of that time laughing and then helping him into his wedding clothes, while Sha're had been ready for close to an hour. It was considered good luck and a guarantee of happiness on Abydos when the groom was nervous, and Daniel had to admit that they'd had a very happy marriage. For the first time since he'd lost his wife, he felt good about getting close to someone again.

He showered, shaved, combed his hair, and still wrapped in his robe, he managed to settle on a pair of jeans, a red button-down shirt, and a pair of sneakers he usually used for walking. Hopefully this outfit would be all right. Once he was dressed he headed for the coffee pot and had some breakfast that he didn't even taste, and then he started to watch the clock. He nearly jumped off his couch when the phone rang. Praying it wasn't Christy calling to cancel, he snatched up the handset. "Hello?"

"Hey, Daniel."

"Jack? Hi."

Jack paused. "You okay? You sound like something's wrong."

"No, nothing's wrong. The phone only scared me half to death, that's all. You haven't called to tell me to come in to work, have you?"

"No, not at all. Just checking in with you, really. You have that thing with your girlfriend today, don't you?"

"We're not official yet," Daniel corrected him. "We're just two people who enjoy one another's company periodically. That's all."

Jack laughed. "Quit dragging your feet, Danny-boy. Listen, can you do something for me?"

Daniel winced. "What is it?"

"Nothing big. Just make sure you take a cell phone with you. You know, your company-issued one?"

"The superphone?" Daniel asked, amused. He called it that because the SGC had somehow managed to procure phones for its senior staff that could get service _anywhere_. The things even beat out satellite phones and only took five minutes to charge, leaving Daniel to suspect that a little off-world technology had been used in their making. "Sure, I could do that. Is there any particular reason why?"

"It's _you_," Jack said. "I mean, you're a reliable trouble magnet. If it's not something from 'out of town' it'll be something mundane, like car trouble, a broken leg, or something equally as boring. Just take your phone with you, okay? I'll feel better."

"You worry too much," Daniel said.

"Hey, I'm the head of SG-1. That's my job," Jack told him. "Thanks, Daniel. See you Monday?"

"Sure thing. See you, Jack."

Daniel hung up, wondering just what was bothering Jack now. Still, he located his superphone and put it in his pocket, just in case. He checked his watch and sighed. Only an hour to wait before leaving to meet Christy.

--

Daniel pulled up in front of Café Verre, parked, and hurried inside, looking about for Christy. He heard the door open behind him, and hands covered his eyes. "Guess who?"

Daniel couldn't help grinning. She was in a playful mood! "Oh, darn. I'm awful at this game. Uh…Natalie Portman?"

"Nope. Guess again!"

"Mother Teresa?"

"One last try," she said, stifling a laugh.

Daniel had to stifle a laugh of his own. "The most beautiful woman in the universe?"

The hands fell away, and he turned, catching her up in his arms. She smiled up at him, shaking her head. "The most beautiful woman in the _world_ would have done just as well, Daniel."

"Please," he said, leading her to a table so they could sit for a moment. "Trust me, I know what I'm talking about."

"So, you've been all over the universe and you've seen every woman out there, so you know for a fact that I'm the most beautiful?"

Daniel tilted his head to one side, smiling. "Something like that," he teased. "So, where are we going?"

"You _know_ that's a surprise!" she insisted. "Could we take your car? I can tell you where to go."

"Sure," he said, nodding. "So, is a jeep preferable where we're going?"

"Something like that," she teased back. "C'mon, let's go." For the first time Daniel noticed she had a picnic basket with her, and he gave Sam some mental points for guessing what they were going to be doing.

"Is your famous potato salad in that?" he asked as she led him out of the café and towards his car.

"Maybe," she teased as he held the car door open for her. As he made his way around to the driver's side, he fought down another grin. She was certainly in a fun mood!

They chatted and talked of inconsequential things while they drove, she giving him directions that led them to a local hiker's paradise. They drove through the park, up a small trail, and at the most spectacular view he'd ever seen, she told him to stop.

"Wow!" he said, getting out of the car. "Christy, this place is perfect!"

"It's one of my favorite spots," she admitted as she stood beside him. "I've been coming here for ages."

"Well, it's great," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "Just you, me, and the open air."

"And a picnic basket!" she said, laughing. "Just wait till you see the feast I've packed!"

Daniel looked down at the black-haired, blue-eyed bundle of fun he held and took his courage firmly in his mental hands before he kissed her. She gave him a playful little kiss back before skipping back to the car for the picnic basket and the checkered blanket on which they could spread their feast. The ride had taken an hour and a half, and it was time to eat.

The picnic basket did indeed hold a feast. There were three types of sandwiches, raw vegetables with onion dip, pickles, sodas, fruit salad, cupcakes, and of course, Christy's famous potato salad. They had fun chatting and messily feeding each other, and Daniel was more than a little stuffed by the time they took a short walk so their food could digest. She told him about her week at work (she did research for a company in Colorado Springs) and he told her about his supposed work at Cheyenne Mountain.

"I don't see why they need an archeologist in an Air Force Base," she said, taking his hand.

"Well, I'm not just an archeologist," he reminded her. "I'm also a linguist, and that's handy to have around."

She smiled. "So, you get a lot of foreign dignitaries at the base?"

"Well, with national security and all that the way it is, I can't really say so. What I _can_ tell you is that my skills come in handy."

"Oh, okay," she said, leading the way back to the car and their picnic site. Once there, she opened the picnic basket and removed two wine glasses and a bottle of red wine.

"Wine at a picnic?" he said, raising an eyebrow and fighting a smile.

"Of course," she affirmed, opening the bottle and filling the two glasses. "Just one glass."

Daniel allowed his smile to show as he took the offered glass. "Just one, then. We're driving, remember?"

"Not to worry. One glass will be enough."

They stayed on the blanket, talking and sipping their wine while watching the sun set. Daniel couldn't believe they'd been there the entire afternoon, talking, walking, nibbling, and relaxing. He set aside his empty glass and looked at the view, sighing with a feeling of absolute contentment. "I really don't want this day to end," he said, stretching out on the blanket and staring up at the sky. "It's been great."

"Yes, it has," she agreed, shifting beside him. To his surprise, she took hold of his arms and maneuvered him around so that his head was resting on her lap. "Let's just stay here a little while longer, shall we?"

He froze. This was the…closest…he'd been to a woman in a while. Hanging out with Sam didn't count in his book of romance, and the look Christy was giving him now was making him more than a little nervous. "Uh…Christy, I…"

She shushed him. "It's all right, Daniel. Don't worry. I'm just very tactile: I like to touch others and have them touch me. Where you are right now is perfect—we can touch one another, and I can look at you all I want."

Her candor surprised him into smiling. "So you like looking at me, do you?" Sha're had once said something very similar, and he found it just as heart-warming now.

"Very much," she confirmed, smoothing his hair back. "Very, very much."

He was perfectly content to lay there, holding on to one of her hands while the other played with his hair, and he found that so relaxing that his eyes closed and his entire body went limp. He had a feeling that he'd go to sleep pretty soon if she kept that up, and he was not at all averse to the idea.

He was worlds away when he heard the car. It was coming closer, so close that he could practically smell the fumes from it. He felt Christy stiffen, and his eyes opened. "What's going on?"

A moment later, he knew. People dressed in black with their faces covered flooded from a black van to surround them, and Daniel found himself looking down the barrel of a P-90.

Oh, _crap._

"On your feet," the leader said, still keeping his gun in Daniel's face. "Now."

Daniel raised his hands and got to his feet, keeping an eye on the gun. "What do you want?"

Another man covered them with his gun while the leader pulled something out of a pocket. It was a small, stoppered test tube full of a blue liquid, and he held it out to Daniel. "Drink that."

"Why?" Daniel demanded, hoping to play for a little time and learn something.

"Drink it, Jackson."

The first thought in Daniel's head after hearing the man say his name was that they were goons from the NID. The next thought was that he had to get them to let Christy go. "Listen, I'll come willingly if you'll let her go. You won't have to drug me," he said, stealing a glance at Christy. She was deathly pale, and she was holding on to his shoulder as if she was afraid to let go.

The leader snorted. "You seem to be under the impression that you're giving orders here. Drink this stuff, or I'll shoot her. Your choice."

"How do I know you won't shoot her anyway?"

The leader shot his gun into the air. "You don't. Drink it," he said, pointing the gun at Christy. "_Now_."

Daniel snatched the tube, pulled out the stopper, and upended it into his mouth. The taste made him gag, but another man grabbed hold of him and held his jaw shut, tilting his head back and leaving Daniel unable to spit it out. While that man held him, the leader stepped forward and ran his fingers down Daniel's exposed throat, exerting enough pressure to make him swallow. Although he'd eaten a good lunch, it was past dinner time, and his stomach was just about empty. The drug acted fast, making his head spin and his knees buckle, and he was lowered down to the blanket as his eyes closed. He felt hands move through his pockets, removing his wallet, keys, IDs, and his superphone. He heard things being shifted out of the way as he felt the blanket wrapped around him and used as an impromptu stretcher to carry him somewhere. As he was settled in the van, his last thoughts were, _I hope Christy is okay_ and _Jack is going to kill me._

He didn't know how long he was unconscious, but he woke up—still unable to move or open his eyes--just as the van was slowing down.

"Thank God we're here; it's starting to get light," he heard one of the men say. "Is he still out?"

Daniel felt a hand take hold of his chin and turn his head. "Still out. Sleeping like the proverbial baby."

"Good. We'll get him inside and settled, and then the rest of us can hit the sack."

He heard the doors to the van open, and he heard the noise of something else being wheeled up to the van. As he was picked up and laid down again, he realized that he'd heard a medical gurney. They wheeled him away from the van and inside someplace, and he found himself wondering if it was a good thing or a bad thing that he hadn't heard Christy's voice yet.

That was when he heard a new voice. "Well done!" a man said, and Daniel heard footsteps approach. "Any trouble?"

"He's worse than a kid," Daniel heard the leader say. "Didn't want to take his medicine."

The new speaker chuckled. "Well, we won't have to worry about that; he's here now. I'll come along with you and help you get him settled. You must all be tired."

"Thanks, Pater," the leader said, sounding grateful.

_Pater?_ thought Daniel. _What kind of a name is 'Pater'? It's Latin for 'father,' but why would anyone use that as a name?_ Perhaps it was some kind of code name? He kept thinking about it and listening for Christy as he was wheeled away. He felt the upward motion of an elevator for a few moments and then he was wheeled somewhere else. He began to get very worried as he felt someone untie his shoes and another person begin to unbutton his shirt. What was going to happen? Frightening images of past experiences began to flash through his head, and he became more worried as he was stripped down to his boxers and white T-shirt. He really didn't relax until he felt himself moved and lowered onto a very comfortable bed and he felt a warm comforter spread over him.

"Make sure you mark his door red. He'll be red level until later," the new man said, an allusion that Daniel didn't understand. A second later what felt like a metal bracelet was put on his wrist. "He'll probably sleep until later today. Good work, everyone."

"No problem," the leader said. "Let's go, guys. Bed's calling, and it doesn't like to be put on hold."

Daniel heard them file out, and he heard the door close and lock. As he lay there, he wondered what he was going to do. He had no way of knowing if Christy was all right, if she was there with him or elsewhere, and the SGC would have no way of finding him or even know he was in trouble until he failed to report in for work on Monday. He was in a huge amount of trouble, and he didn't even know how bad the trouble was yet. He could feel himself falling back asleep now that things were quiet, and as unconsciousness claimed him once more, he thought a small prayer that everything would somehow be all right.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

Jack sighed and hit the speed-dial again, praying that Daniel would pick up this time. He had a deal with himself: if Daniel didn't pick up the phone on the fifth call, then he was in trouble and Jack needed to notify the General. He really hoped that Daniel had just fallen asleep or something, but the feeling in Jack's gut didn't allow him to believe that was what had really happened. Given the fact of the breach, it wouldn't do to fool himself into complacency. Even though Daniel's calling in life seemed to be "trouble magnet," it didn't make sense for him to be in trouble this time since his files had been downloaded last, almost as an afterthought.

He froze, his mind working double-time.

Files downloaded last…almost as an afterthought…

Now he wasn't answering his phone…

"_Dammit!_" Jack swore, heading for his truck while dialing Hammond's number and leaving a quick message that Daniel was in trouble. "Teal'c! We gotta get back to the base!"

To give the big guy credit, Teal'c came at a run. "What is wrong, O'Neill?"

"We were played for saps!" Jack said, hopping behind the wheel and starting the engine while Teal'c took his seat. "How could I have been so freakin' stupid?"

Teal'c didn't answer, but he gave Jack a quizzical look.

"Daniel was their target all along!" Jack explained, furious with himself. "They made us think he wasn't that important by downloading his files last!"

"I see, O'Neill," Teal'c said, fastening his seat belt. "And now Daniel Jackson is not answering his phone."

Jack stared at the big Jaffa. "How'd you know that?"

"You would be calm, otherwise, and we would not be heading back to the base."

The ride back to the base took far too long in Jack's opinion, and when they got there the added irritation of having to go through all the security checkpoints had Jack's nerves on edge. They met Hammond at his office, and to give the old guy credit, Hammond had already called the police after receiving Jack's message.

"The police are on the lookout for Dr. Jackson, and I have the base SFs sweeping the area. I have a feeling we won't find Dr. Jackson, but we will find something that will tell us what happened."

"Daniel had a date with some girl this weekend—someone named Christy Harrison. Carter could probably tell us more," he said. "We should give her a call."

"I already have," Hammond told him. "She'll be here in another minute or so."

"No, I'm here now," Sam said, rushing into the office. "You said Daniel was in trouble?"

"He's not answering his phone," Jack explained. "We think he might be the target of the security breach."

Sam blinked. "What security breach?"

Teal'c sighed, not surprised that his friend hadn't shared knowledge of the breach. O'Neill could never keep a secret around him, but around Major Carter and Daniel Jackson, secrecy seemed to be a habit at the most inconvenient times.

Jack and Hammond both kicked themselves mentally for leaving Sam and Daniel out of the loop.

"There was a security breach in our computer files," Jack said. "It's possible there might be a mole on base, so that's why I insisted you guys have downtime off the base this weekend. All of SG-1's files were downloaded, but Daniel's were downloaded last, leaving us to think he was an afterthought when he was really…"

"The target," Sam ended, shaking her head. "Damn. And now he may be missing."

"We need to know what Daniel's plans were," Jack said. "Did he tell you, Carter?"

"He told me that his date had planned a surprise," Sam said, sinking into a chair. "Something casual and outdoorsy, maybe. She told him to wear jeans and sneakers, and he asked me what I thought she might be planning. I said something casual, like a hike, boating, amusement park, picnic…something like that."

"I'll call the SFs and the police and tell them to check nearby parks," Hammond said, reaching for the phone, but it rang before he could touch it. He snatched it up, looking hopeful. "Hammond. Yes. Yes," he said, writing something down. "All right, thank you. We'll be there soon."

Every eye in the room was fastened on his face as he took a deep breath. "That was the police. They received a call about an abandoned vehicle from a park ranger service this morning. The police checked the plates and IDs and it's Dr. Jackson's car. Inside the car were his wallet, keys, base IDs, and his phone. There was no sign of Dr. Jackson anywhere in the vicinity. Let's go, people. We have a possible crime scene to see."

Jack started swearing, and he kept swearing under his breath all the way to the park. When they arrived, the scene was cordoned off with yellow police tape and guarded by several cruisers as well as by SGC SFs. One ranger was in the middle of all of this, giving simultaneous statements to police and SFs and looking very surprised.

"Well, as I was saying, it's standard procedure to notify the police when we find an abandoned car in case someone's lost or hurt out here," the ranger was saying. "I found the car, and there's a picnic basket underneath it, but I didn't find anyone, and there were a lot of footprints. That looked odd."

"I am General Hammond," Hammond said, approaching. "Did you notice anything strange yesterday?"

The poor ranger looked ready to run and hide as he realized that this was something _big._ "No, not really. Typical busy Saturday. We had people coming to the lake, people using the trails, people at the riding barn, hikers, picnickers, fishers, our usual sort. Lots of cars in and out."

Jack took a deep breath to keep his temper. "Any unusual _cars_?"

The ranger seemed to think for a minute or two. "Just one that was strange. It came in close to evening, around sunset. That's not usual. It was a big black van. It was here and gone within a half-hour, really. The people inside must not have realized how late it was when they came."

By this time Sam and Teal'c were helping the SFs to gather evidence, much to the chagrin of the local police. One officer walked up to talk to General Hammond. "Sir, if this is a crime scene, then our CSI people need to take evidence back to the labs. Why are your people confiscating it?"

With a glance at Jack, Hammond delegated the responsibility.

"Hi, officer. Colonel Jack O'Neill, US Air Force," he said, shaking the guy's hand. "Our security are taking the evidence because it's a matter of national security."

The guy glared at O'Neill. Jack saw that his nametag read R. Campbell. "I've seen that guy's IDs. Why the heck is an archeologist and linguist so important to the Air Force?"

"Well, Officer Campbell, he's an extremely important archeologist and linguist," Jack informed him. "More than that, I can't reveal. Rest assured that your case is in good hands."

Campbell glared, but he let it go and rejoined the other cops. At Hammond's request, the police did a search for Christy Harrison but they came up with only an eighty-year-old woman in a nursing home and a three-year-old.

"This is bad," Jack said when they received that information. "This is really bad. It was an inside job!"

Sam winced. "Daniel really liked that girl. This is gonna break his heart." She looked at the colonel and realized that she wouldn't want to be in the ersatz Christy Harrison's shoes right now. Jack looked ready to kill something.

--

Waking up was difficult. Very, _very_ difficult. To be awake and to be unable to open your eyes or move was even worse. Slowly Daniel crawled toward full consciousness, and with a great effort he was able to open his eyes. He lay where he was, staring at the ceiling and wondering where he was. Perhaps his memories of the black van and those men had just been a dream? He looked about and realized that he was not in his bedroom, not in his quarters on the base, and not in the base infirmary. Ergo, he was somewhere else and his "dream" of the black van had been a reality. He was in trouble.

Daniel forced his fingers and toes to flex, slowly working his way up through his various muscles and joints. Finally, he was able to move his arms and legs and head, and he managed to make it to a sitting position so he could see more of the room. He'd expected something like a cell, but instead, he was in a very comfortable room decorated in blues and natural woods. There was a sofa and two easy chairs and ottomans in front of a fireplace, and a square table and four chairs in the corner. On the far wall was a bookshelf full of books, and sharing the same wall with the bed was a bedside table and a large wardrobe. There was no carpet, but there were area rugs in various shades of blue.

He managed to get himself out of bed only by a determined effort, and he wove his way to the nearest door. Thankfully, it led to a bathroom, which was his strongest concern at the moment. He took care of the needful and washed his face and hands with cold water, trying to wake himself up. It worked, but then he realized that he also had one heck of a headache. Whatever drug he'd been given last night had been a doozy.

He went back into the bedroom and looked around cautiously, but there was no sign that someone had been there. Sighing, he went to the wardrobe for clothes. If he was going to get out of here, there was no way he'd be doing it in boxers and a T-shirt. A shower wouldn't be too bad, either. He could feel his skin crawling with the need to be washed and clean.

He got a surprise when he opened the wardrobe. The clothes in it were exactly to his tastes, and they were expensive—the labels were all from brands from companies and designers that charged close to thirty or forty dollars for a simple button-down shirt. Usually he bought imitations from department stores—just as good, and a lot cheaper, but these clothes were all from specialty stores dealing specifically with certain brands. Pricey. Who would buy him clothes that were that expensive, and what would such an action imply?

He showered, shaved, and dressed with lightning speed, full of nervous energy. He had very little to do except make the bed and pace, which he did. He examined the books—lots of fiction, history, and languages, and he already had copies of most of the titles at home—but he didn't feel like reading. He felt like talking to someone, getting answers, and getting out of there. He wanted to know why he'd been brought to this place and why he was wearing an odd metal bracelet. It was stamped with his name, yesterday's date, and a series of letters and a number 1 in red, and he wondered what it meant. He remembered hearing someone say that he would be red level for a while. What did that mean?

Just as he was beginning to worry that no one would ever come, his door buzzed, unlocked and opened, disclosing a man with a large tray. "Morning," he said. "I'm Mark. I brought you breakfast, and there's a whole bottle of juice here. Pater said you'd be thirsty."

Daniel watched him as he closed the door behind him and it buzzed again. "You're Mark?" Daniel said, just to make sure. He didn't sound like a ruthless kidnapper. "Okay, can you answer some questions for me?"

"Well, sure," Mark said, setting the tray down on the table and removing the cover. "What do you want to know?"

Most perplexing first, Daniel decided. "Who's Pater?"

"Pater's the head of the Family," Mark said, the capital letter audible.

"And what's the Family?"

Mark smiled. "We're unlike anything else on earth, I suppose. None of us are related by blood, but we are related by mutual agreement. All of us are a lot alike. Pater could explain it better. He said he'd have lunch with you today after your exam."

Daniel wasn't sure what to ask next, so he latched onto the easiest thing. "Exam?"

"You'll be checked out by one of our doctors," Mark explained. "Pater wants to be sure you're healthy."

"I'm in perfect health; I had a physical just the other day."

"Be that as it may, Pater will still want you checked. Standard procedure, you see, whenever anyone's adopted into the Family."

"Um, I'm not up for adoption," Daniel told him, fighting down the urge to throttle something. This could not be happening! Weird kidnappings were only supposed to happen _off_-world! "Why was I brought here?"

"Well, because you belong with us, of course!"

Daniel thoughts moved at lightning speed, trying to think of his next question. "How is it decided that someone belongs with you? What characteristics of a person determine that?"

"Pater will be able to tell you that. He's the one who decides."

Daniel fought with his temper briefly and won. "What about this bracelet? What does this mean?" he asked, holding up his wrist.

"That's your ID," Mark informed him. "It shows your name and the day you were adopted into the Family. The printing's red to show that you're a red level."

Trying to get more than driblets of information out of Mark was just as difficult as trying to reason with a Goa'uld. "And what does my being a red level mean?"

"It means you've just arrived and that you aren't allowed outside the grounds, and you aren't allowed out of the house or off your floor without an escort. Don't worry, there are always plenty of people available to escort you, so you won't be cooped up in your room or even in the house all the time. The other letters on the bracelet show which rooms you're allowed to be in—don't worry, they're marked so you won't make a mistake--and the single number shows your information level."

"My information level?"

"How much any of us are allowed to tell you about current projects and our locations and resources," Mark explained. "You're a level one, so that means you won't be told anything until you've gone up a level. You won't reach full disclosure until you're a blue level number three."

Daniel felt his snarkiness rise up. "And how does one reach that exalted state?"

"Effort and a good deal of time. Pater will explain that later. You should eat your breakfast before it gets cold. I'll see you; I've got to be going." He left, ignoring Daniel's protests.

There didn't seem to be anything else to do but sit down and have breakfast. It was a good one, too. There was a ham steak, scrambled eggs, a bagel with cream cheese, and a dish full of fruit. To drink there was a bottle—a large bottle—full of apple juice. He drank off half the bottle in one go since he _was_ thirsty (practically parched, in fact) and then began to decimate his breakfast. When everything was a fond memory he began to try the door and the windows, hoping that one of them might be unlocked and allow him to get out. Unfortunately, everything was locked up tight. There seemed to be no other way out.

His energy left him then. He'd done all he could do in the present situation, and until something changed, there was very little else he could do. Sighing, he searched for an appealing book and curled up with a novel for a while. Perhaps when he saw this Pater he would be able to learn more and perhaps do something.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

"Daniel?"

Daniel jerked awake, dropping his book to the floor. "Huh?"

"How are you feeling?"

Daniel fought to put his glasses straight on his nose (thank God his kidnappers had brought them along and had left them on the bedside table) to peer up at the person in front of him. "Um…fine." He recognized the voice from either last night or that morning. "You're Pater, aren't you?" Daniel stared at him, wondering if he'd lost his mind. The guy looked like a fond uncle rather than a kidnapper. He hadn't been prepared for that.

The man smiled. "Yes, I'm Pater. Are you ready for your exam?"

"I'd really prefer to know what's going on, and I'd like to know what happened to the young lady that was with me last night."

Pater looked confused. "Young lady?"

"Yes, Mark didn't mention her, but she was with me last night when you had me kidnapped," Daniel reminded him. "Look, she's innocent in this. If you've hurt her or something…"

Pater gave a chuckle. "I wouldn't hurt her at all! Not at all! She is just fine."

"Is she here?" Daniel persisted.

"Would you like to see her?"

Daniel fought to keep his temper in check. "I'd like nothing better."

Pater went to the door, opened it, and stuck his head out, saying something Daniel didn't catch. Then, there was Christy, standing in the doorway and looking as if she were perfectly calm. He couldn't believe it.

"Christy!" he said, rushing up to her and wrapping her in his arms. "Are you okay?"

"I'm just fine, Daniel. You?"

"Uh, I don't think this situation is _fine_. I think this is one of those few situations in the world that would not qualify as 'fine.'"

Christy smiled. "But it _is_ fine, Daniel. You'll see. Pater's very excited about having you here."

Daniel looked from her to Pater and back again, then backed away from them both, looking ready to kick himself. "Oh, I can't believe I was _this_ stupid! Here I was, worried sick about you and trying to figure out if you were all right or if you were even here when you were one of _them_! And what makes it worse? I fell for the old 'trick the target with a woman' routine! _I_ fell for it! Dammit!"

Christy looked at Pater, and Pater simply smiled. "Daniel, the reason why that ruse is so effective is because you never expect it. You aren't the first one to fall for it."

"That doesn't make me feel any better," Daniel snapped. "Of all the brain-dead things to have done! I should have had security check you out, should have trusted my first inclinations, but _no_, I thought you were entitled to your privacy and you were setting me up all along! I thought, gee, maybe this girl actually likes me. Maybe she's seen something in me that she's drawn to. I really hope so, 'cause I kinda like her. No, of course not! She only wanted to get close to me to arrange my kidnapping!" He stormed back and forth, trying to take a deep breath. "I don't believe this! In my line of work, I should know enough to watch out for things like this! I really should! I work in a high-security area, for crying out loud!" He stopped and pressed his hands to his face, groaning. "Oh, God! I'm channeling _Jack_!"

Christy stepped up to him. "Daniel, just because I helped Pater bring you here doesn't mean I didn't care about you," she said. "Pater's something of a matchmaker, really. He said that he thought you'd be perfect for me, and he was right! I'm part of the Family too, and I'm just so happy that you're here now. Everything's going to be all right."

Daniel took his hands away from his face and glared at her. "It is so important to your future that you back away from me now."

"Daniel!" Pater reproved. "That's no way to speak to a lady. She's just trying to help."

"Don't even get me started on _that_, because I have some opinions of my own," Daniel growled. "Is her name even Christy?"

"It's Sylvie, actually," Christy said. "Sylvia."

Daniel didn't say anything, and for the first time, she looked like she might cry.

"Sylvia, dear, I think now would be a good time for you to go. Daniel's not feeling very receptive to your presence right now," Pater said, ushering her toward the door. "Don't worry, dear, he'll come around."

"I'm not feeling very receptive to anything right now, so don't hold your breath," Daniel snarled. Sylvia left, closing the door behind her after casting one last pleading glance at Daniel. Pater turned to him, looking ready to give him a serious talking to. Either that or he was ready to shoot him.

"Daniel, was that really necessary? She was only trying to help."

"Don't even get me started," Daniel interrupted. "Why'd you have me brought here? What is this Family that everyone keeps talking about? Mark said you could explain it better."

Pater nodded and sat down in the nearest armchair. "I'll explain, shall I?"

"Please do." Daniel took the seat across from him, more than ready for an explanation.

"I began the Family close to twenty years ago. I chose the name 'Pater' simply because it means 'father.' The Family is a sanctuary for those people who have no family, no loved ones, but need the support of such an environment for their unique gifts. Due to this environment, the members of this Family have made gigantic strides in any area of research they've chosen to pursue."

Daniel felt his eyebrows go up. "And you feel I need this supportive environment? You feel I need to be part of this Family?"

"Oh, undoubtedly," Pater assured him. "We know all about you, Daniel."

Daniel looked at him, a little unnerved. "How?"

"We've downloaded every bit of information about you from the SGC computer," Pater explained. "Your personnel file, your medical files, your mission reports, your presentation transcripts, copies of all your correspondence—really, everything we could find. We even have copies of Dr. Mackenzie's notes on his sessions with you and transcripts of those sessions."

Daniel swallowed. Over his years at the SGC, he'd experienced a lot of very stressful things, and it was base policy for either General Hammond or Dr. Frasier to arrange for psych sessions for the staff after such experiences (most of the time Janet beat the general to the punch). Since the universe seemed to have it in for him on a regular basis, he'd had a good number of sessions with Mackenzie, and every session had dealt with things he'd rather not remember. "Which sessions?"

"Well, all of them, really. The psych eval you had after your return from Abydos and the abduction of your wife, the session you had after your encounter with Nem, with Hathor, your trip to another dimension, the one after your run-in with Apophis and Klorel, your sarcophagus addiction---"

"You don't need to go on," Daniel interrupted quickly. Mention of those things had brought back a lot of memories he'd preferred not to think about. "You've read my psych reports and sessions. So what?"

"So those files tell me that you are in dire need of a supportive environment. You haven't had a real family since you were a child, Daniel. You've found something of support and protection since joining the SGC, but that isn't enough. You need a family, and we can provide one."

Daniel actually relaxed enough to laugh. "You see, that's where you're wrong. I'm perfectly fine. I don't need a family, and at the moment, I don't really want one, if my only option is the kind of family you're offering."

Pater sighed. "I don't expect you to accept this right away, Daniel. If it's any comfort, you're reacting the same way everyone else has. In a few years, though, you'll be unable to imagine yourself anywhere else."

Daniel stared at him. "Years?"

"Yes, years. It takes a few years for anyone to accept this."

Daniel got up from his chair and fought the urge to back away. "You mean it takes a few years to induce Stockholm Syndrome! What do you do, enforced brainwashing?"

"I don't _brainwash_ anyone," Pater informed him testily. "Stockholm Syndrome! Really!"

"Hey, it's been known to happen! Look at Patty Hearst!" Daniel reminded him. "And I won't be here long enough to have it happen to me, got it?"

"Whatever you say, Daniel," Pater told him. "Now, the infirmary is waiting on us. You need to have an exam."

"I had one just a few days ago at the SGC," Daniel pointed out. "If you have my medical file, you should know that."

"Standard procedure, and you won't get any peace until you've had the exam," Pater countered. "Let's go. After the exam you and I can have some lunch and we'll talk. How's that?"

Daniel didn't answer right away. "What if I don't want to go down to the infirmary? How are you going to get me down there if I'm not willing to move under my own steam?"

Pater chuckled. "Then I call Carl and Phillip. They're usually the ones who help me with…recalcitrant adoptees. Your choice, Daniel."

Daniel glared at him. "You utter bastard."

"I won't take that to heart," Pater was good enough to inform him. "What's it going to be?"

"Lead on, MacDuff."

Daniel kept his eyes open as Pater led him out of the room and down the hall. This place was huge, and he was more than willing to bet that everyone had his or her own room unless they chose to co-inhabit. The furniture and surroundings all screamed 'money,' and Daniel began to feel very uncomfortable. If a group had enough money to spend on research, living expenses, _and_ a nicely-decorated base with expensive furniture, then said group had a lot of capital at its disposal. That much money and available resources meant they could do almost anything they wanted, which was not good news.

"I put you on this floor because I thought you might want to be close to the library," Pater said, pointing out a large French pocket door. "We have close to ten thousand volumes."

Daniel blinked at the number and opened the door to check, unable to resist doing so. Ten thousand books…that was a lot of books. The library seemed to be a wing unto itself, and Daniel felt his book love begin to stir.

"You'll be able to look at that later," Pater said after a few minutes. "We have an appointment to get to."

Reluctantly, Daniel pulled his mesmerized gaze away from the shelves of books and followed Pater, forcing himself to make mental notes on all he saw. There was one comfort about the building that Daniel appreciated: windows. Lots of windows, and most of them had window seats that just invited someone to curl up on them and relax in the sun and fresh air. The base didn't really have windows since it was underground. He'd tried to compensate for it by putting up posters and such around his office, but there was something about being able to see outside that just made him feel better. Outside he saw what looked like gardens, a swimming pool, a tennis court, and beyond a wall, there were lots of pine trees and hills. He couldn't see anything that would serve as any kind of landmark, unfortunately. If he could just find a phone…

Pater led him down two floors, down a hallway, and into a bright, white room. It had the same infirmary smell as the one at the base, it had beds, bedside tables, and medical supplies, but it was missing the warm presence of Janet Frasier. A man in a white medical coat was there waiting, and he smiled when he saw the two of them.

"Hello, Pater," he said, still smiling. "This is our new one?"

"Yes, this is Daniel," Pater said, leading Daniel over. "He isn't too happy about being here."

"Were we ever at the beginning?" the doctor said easily. "Good to meet you, Daniel. I'm Doctor Stephens, but you can call me Greg."

"Hi," Daniel said, striving to be polite. He had a feeling he was failing miserably. "Will this take long?"

"Not long," Greg assured him. "Hop up here, okay?" he said, patting a table.

Daniel hopped up, and he spent quite a few minutes being checked over with the thoroughness he was used to receiving from Janet. Ending the exam was a blood test, and Greg fussed with the samples he'd taken before jotting something down in what Daniel assumed was his new medical file and turning to Pater.

"How is he, Greg?"

"He's healthy, but tests revealed some slight dietary deficiencies. I'll notify the kitchen staff and make the appropriate arrangements to remedy those deficiencies, but I think for the first month or so he's here he should have a daily dose of tonic."

"Tonic?" Daniel asked, not understanding.

"Something Pater formulated," Greg told him, writing in the file. "Doesn't taste too bad, and it's good for you, especially if you haven't been eating right or if you've been sick. I think a dose before you go to bed should be all right."

"Um…no," Daniel said, getting to his feet. "I'm not taking anything."

Greg looked to Pater. "Pater?"

"Daniel, it would be beneficial if you decided to take the tonic on your own," Pater told him.

"And if I don't? What are you going to do, get Carl and Phillip to hold me down?"

"If that's what it takes," Pater assured him.

Daniel stared at him. "My God, you're serious." At Pater's nod, he backed away, beginning to feel frightened. "No. _No._ You can't do that. I won't." Dearest God, what kind of place had he been brought to?

"Greg, could you give us a minute?" Pater asked.

"Sure, Pater. Don't scare him too badly, okay?" Greg left, leaving the two of them alone, and Daniel had to fight hard to keep from looking for a weapon, _any_ weapon.

"Daniel, I should have explained the rules before we left your room, but I was eager to get you down here. You look very pale."

"Gee, I wonder why," Daniel said with a slightly hysterical tone to his voice. "What are these rules?

"The main rule is that you do not hurt yourself or anyone else. I don't think you'll hurt anyone, but I am worried about the damage you'll do to yourself. Doing silly things like hunger-striking and refusing to take care of yourself won't work. You are here, so accept it. You'll be expected to eat, rest, and exercise, and for the first few months, you'll be expected only to do things you enjoy. You can read, write, do research of your own, explore new hobbies, whatever you like. Everything you need will be provided. Another rule is that you aren't allowed to lock yourself away. You need to socialize and get to know the people here, so you'll have to spend a few hours every day doing things with others. This can be as simple as watching television or listening to music with others, taking part in a game, or being intimate with a chosen companion. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, that intimate thing…it's not gonna happen. _Especially_ not after...well. It's not going to happen."

"If you say so," Pater said, infuriatingly calm. "There might come a time later when you'll feel comfortable enough to do so, but for the time being, I'll expect you to socialize."

"Okay," Daniel said, fighting to hang on to his calm. "What else?"

"Your life has undergone a major upheaval, and that will produce tension and unhappiness and feelings of resentment and anger. It's natural for you to act out, and I know you will, but I'll ask you to keep that acting out either between us or behind closed doors. You are not allowed to storm and rage outside of your room. Inside your room, you can do that all you want, but once you are outside, I'll expect a certain level of decorum. I don't want you upsetting anyone else. If you find your feelings too difficult to deal with, then you can come to me and I'll help you, but you are not allowed to upset anyone. If you follow these rules, you'll be upgraded to level yellow, and that will mean more priveleges. All right?"

"I guess I'll have to agree," Daniel said, sighing. "Will you agree to one thing in return?"

Pater tilted his head, considering. "And what is that?"

"Stay the hell away from me."

"Daniel," Pater began, but Daniel cut him off.

"Oh, no, I'm not about to have you forcing me to spend time around you," Daniel said. "That's how these...reprogramming things work. It's just like a cult, isn't it? First, you isolate people from everything that's familiar to disorient them. Then, you begin training them to think another way by regimenting their days. You've made yourself the central figure in this group, the one that everyone depends on. I won't have you doing to me what you've done to everyone else here. All I have to do is wait."

Pater looked at him, puzzled. "Wait for what?"

"Rescue, I suppose," Daniel said, sounding thoughtful. "The SGC won't be happy that I've been kidnapped. They'll be looking for me."

Pater smiled. "Oh, is that all? They won't find you, Daniel."

Daniel snorted and shook his head. "You don't know SG-1 as well as you think you do," Daniel told him. "Trust me. They'll find me."

"And in the meantime, will you be trying to run?"

"I doubt I'll be given the chance to," Daniel muttered, sounding thoroughly unhappy.

"No, I don't think you'll have one," Pater admitted. "Don't worry, Daniel. We'll try our best to make you happy here."

Daniel didn't say anything.


	6. Chapter 6

In the week that followed, Daniel tried to keep himself as calm as possible in spite of his situation and all of its circumstances. He didn't storm or rage, he didn't shout at people, and he didn't throw things, although he would have dearly loved to do so. Instead, he kept calm and reminded himself that he wouldn't be there forever. All it would take was time for the SGC to find him, and suddenly, he had an abundance of time. He had no access to any of his regular projects at work, so he had time.

Pater's rules were easy enough to follow as long as he wasn't around. Daniel kept quiet and kept his temper as well as he could. Sometimes he had to just _leave_ the room he was in and go to his room quickly, but once he was in his room, he was calm again. As for his socializing, he'd discovered that he could do plenty of socializing at meals. (After Pater's warnings about hunger striking, Daniel deemed it more prudent to go ahead and join the "family" for meals since that would ensure Pater would see he was eating. Besides, the food was good.) Meals were served on a sideboard with everyone seated at a large family-style table. Since he was new people always asked him questions about his background and himself, and he spent quite a bit of time discussing books, music, and movies with his new "brothers and sisters," as Pater called them. Whenever they said something about Pater that Daniel disagreed with (usually it was some comment about how lucky he was to have been "adopted" by Pater) he just reminded himself that they were all brainwashed and had been conditioned to say things like that.

Meals weren't the only time he socialized, however. He spent time in the entertainment room, and there was enough in there to keep one busy and, well, _entertained_ for days. It was like the ultimate playroom. There was a large television, enough DVDs to stock Blockbuster, a wall of CDs, a video game system (Jack would have loved that) that was top-of-the-line and included all the latest games, board games of all sorts, packs of cards, and enough pillows and cushions for a pillow war. Daniel found a red cushion that he particularly liked since it was big and soft enough to use for a chair. He could sit in there and chat with people, cheer people on during video game tournaments, take on some opponents in chess, cards, or checkers, and join in a game of Monopoly, Scrabble, or DaVinci's Challenge.

A place he liked was the music room. Inside it there was a music library and sound-proof practice booths, and in one booth there was a piano. He missed the piano he had in his apartment, but the upright he'd found was actually a pretty good substitute. He spent a few hours in there every day or so, running through scales, playing songs he remembered, and improvising. Making music had always been a way to soothe his nerves, and it was just as effective now.

The library was another good place to spend time. The place was massive, and he actually managed to get lost inside it, but it was a bit fun being lost and seeing neither Pater nor any of his "children." There were comfy couches to curl up on and there were always very interesting books within a few feet of any place he chose to relax. Sometimes he'd meet up with someone and have a few minutes of conversation, or he'd just politely say hello and go back to his book.

He was certain that any conversations he had with anyone were all duly reported to Pater, but he found socializing and talking a good way to distract himself from the fact that he was being held prisoner.

The only time he and Pater really butted heads was over Daniel's scheduled tonic. That first night Greg arrived at Daniel's room around ten o'clock, carrying a little plastic cup full of red liquid. Daniel stared at it and shook his head. "I'm not taking that, so you can just take it back to the infirmary, Greg."

"Daniel, this stuff is for your own good," Greg reminded him. "It doesn't even taste bad."

"I'm not worried about it tasting bad," Daniel snapped. "Being forced to take a medication that I know nothing about is definitely not what I would consider 'my own good.' I'm not taking it."

"I'll have to tell Pater about this," Greg warned him.

"You can give the news to him in a singing telegram if you want," Daniel said. "I'm not taking it."

Greg left, returning a few minutes later with Pater and two large guys in tow. Daniel guessed they were the purported Carl and Phillip. No wonder they helped Pater with 'recalcitrant adoptees'! They were huge!

"Hi, Daniel," said the guy on the left.

Daniel stared at him, recognizing the voice. "You're the guy who came to snag me."

Carl grinned. "Yep. So, are you gonna take your medicine this time, or will you need mine and Phil's help to do it? Phil's the one that held you the last time."

Daniel fought down the strange impulse to dive for the nearest window.

"It's your choice, Daniel," Pater said, smiling like a fond father who found his child's refusal to take his medicine amusing.

"No, if you were giving me a choice you would just leave that stuff here and leave me alone," Daniel pointed out.

"Well, you can take the tonic on your own or you can take it with the help of Carl and Phillip. It's going down your throat within the next few minutes either way."

Daniel fought down the urge to kill, even though it was a very, very close thing. He glared at Pater, promising death and dismemberment if the older man insisted on this ridiculous condition. "Ah, that's where you're wrong. It's not going down my throat at all."

He didn't even see Pater give the signal to Goon 1 and Goon 2. They hit like a strike force, tackling him and forcing the medicine into his mouth, again forcing him to swallow it. Once his mouth was empty he spent a few seconds cursing them and all their ancestors in Abydonian, and he fought to be let go, but still the two of them held on. "You already know I've swallowed that wretched stuff, so let me GO!"

"I knew for certain you'd fight like this, Daniel," Pater said as Carl and Phillip fought him to the floor. "So, I've come up with a way to let you know that you have nothing to fear from me."

Daniel wasn't listening too closely. He was more concerned with getting the Two Goons to let him go. Carl held him on his right side, and Phillip was on his left. Pater walked around so that he was behind Daniel, and after a moment Daniel felt himself leaned against someone. Craning his head, he saw that it was _Pater_ supporting him, and he doubled his efforts to get away. "I thought I told you to stay the hell away from me!" Daniel yelled, fighting against Carl and Phillip.

"You told me to, but I never agreed to such a request," Pater reminded him. "Calm down, now. I'll only let you go when you relax and let me support you."

"NO!"

"Daniel, we're your family now. I'm your new father. We all care about you, but you have to learn to trust us. Everything that happens is for the best. Now, trust me enough to let me support you."

It was like some weird psych thriller gone wrong. There was the deranged villain, the willing minions, the strange location, odd and scary torture, and the poor guy trapped in the middle of it all. The only thing that was really terrifying was the fact that the deranged villain was claiming to be a loving father figure.

Daniel didn't know how long he fought, but he fought until he was so aching and exhausted that Pater could keep hold of him easily without the help of Carl or Phil. (Daniel had a nasty suspicion that letting him exhaust himself had been the point of the whole exercise. Either that, or it was some demented form of punishment for refusing his "medicine.") Greg had left at some time, and the Goons stayed around only to make sure that Daniel didn't try making a break for it. He still tried to pull away, but Pater was strong enough to keep Daniel where he was.

He couldn't take it anymore. "Why are you _doing_ this to me?" he demanded, telling himself sternly that he was _not_ going to start crying. He was a grown man, for heaven's sake! True, he was in an earthly version of his own personal hell, but just because he was scared half to death and frustrated beyond description did not mean that he had to start blubbering.

"I'm doing this because I want you to trust me. I haven't hurt you. I've been holding you for a while and I haven't hurt you. You've been given that tonic, and it hasn't poisoned you. I've been holding you, and you haven't been hurt. You've been in this house since very early this morning, and no one's harmed you. You are safe here, Daniel. We're your family, now."

From some reserve of patience he hadn't known he possessed, Daniel found the strength to force himself to relax a little. He focused on relaxing his muscles one by one until his entire body relaxed, and he allowed his weight to rest on Pater. He couldn't help tensing up when Carl shifted, but he was able to make himself relax again. When Pater pressed a hand against Daniel's forehead to make him rest his head against his shoulder, Daniel fought briefly and then allowed it. A few minutes later, Daniel felt his eyes close, and they stayed that way for a minute or two before popping open again. When his eyes closed again of their own accord, he heard Pater sigh.

"You see, Daniel?" he said. "You trust me enough now to support you, and to even close your eyes. This is a good thing."

Daniel wanted, with all his being, to pull away from Pater, but he had a feeling that if he did that Pater would insist on his remaining where he was for longer. Instead, he stayed still. "It doesn't prove anything," he said stubbornly. "All we know now is that you can fight me into exhaustion."

"Exhaustion that allows me the chance to get you to trust me," Pater insisted. "This is good, this is _very_ good. I'm pleased with the progress you've made in just one day."

Daniel didn't trust himself to say anything.

"I think this is sufficient for today," Pater said, and Daniel felt himself released. His eyes were open in a split second and he was on his feet, but Pater still looked...pleased. "We'll do this again soon, shall we?"

"Let's not," Daniel said, backing away from Pater and the Goons. "I don't think I could stand it."

"There'll come a time when you'll look forward to it."

_It's official,_ Daniel thought. _This guy is certifiable, and he's really, **really** creeping me out._ "I don't think so."

Pater shrugged. "As you like, Daniel. Now, it is late, and you should get some rest. I'll see you in the morning."

Thinking back while he lay in bed that night, Daniel remembered the seminars he'd attended at the SGC on kidnapping and indoctrination. What Pater had done was a classic example of how people were indoctrinated to a new way of thinking, and it had been effective enough to scare him. Fear and uncertainty were great at undermining your sense of self and your self-worth. Once those two things were shot, most people were easy prey and they found it easier to submit to the new mindset than to continue to resist.

Daniel knew he couldn't give in. He had to resist not only for his own sake, but for everyone at the SGC. He knew too much about the personnel and the projects they were working on to give in. If he ever gave in, he could very easily tell Pater everything, and that would not be good, despite Pater's telling him that the Family already knew everything anyway. Daniel had a good feeling that Pater was trying to bluff him into complacency.

The first week passed with agonizing slowness, but the tonic incident was not repeated. Instead, Daniel swallowed it down as soon as Greg handed it to him and waited patiently while Greg stayed with him. When asked, Greg said that Pater had asked him to stay at least a half-hour after Daniel took the tonic so the stuff would actually be ingested into his system before Daniel tried to cough it up. Daniel tacitly cursed Pater's foresight and stayed silent.

The second week started, and so far Daniel hadn't seen any sign that the SGC had been able to trace him. It was time for him to give them a little help.


	7. Chapter 7

"It's so quiet here," Daniel said thoughtfully as he studied the board in front of him. He and a man called Carlisle were deep in a chess game, and Daniel was hoping that Carlisle was feeling as garrulous as he usually seemed.

"Yes, it's quiet," Carlisle agreed. "When I was younger, I always wanted to live in the country, but I never got the chance. Now, I live in the best place I've been for a while. No matter where we go, we're always out in the country somewhere, and I love it."

Daniel filed the _no matter where we go_ comment away for later consideration. "I'm not used to things being so quiet. Did the silence unnerve you when you first came?"

Carlisle smiled. "It did for the first month or so, but then I grew to appreciate it. Does the silence bother you?"

"A bit," Daniel admitted. "When I'm in my room I can't hear anything at all, and I miss noise. Sometimes it seems as if I'm the only one in the house. I mean, I'm used to hearing cars, people out on the streets, announcements over a PA at work, phones ringing and computers making noise. There's none of that here."

"You think there's none of that here because you haven't seen any of that yet," Carlisle said, moving a rook. "There are phones and computers."

Daniel glared at Carlisle's rook and moved a knight to capture it. "Now I know you're pulling my leg," he said. "If there were phones and computers, I would hear the phones ringing and people typing on the keyboards."

"Trust me," Carlisle said, staring thoughtfully at the chess pieces. "Most of us have our own computers to work on, and we all have cell phones for when we leave the compound. Pater has a phone in his office all the time. Just because you don't hear those things doesn't mean they're not there, Daniel. When you reach blue level, you'll get a computer and phone, too. Everyone does." Carlisle moved his queen.

"Damn," Daniel muttered, considering his remaining pieces and moves. "You know, I'm still not quite clear on how to reach blue level." He moved a bishop.

"Hasn't Pater told you?"

"He just told me to follow the rules he outlined for me, but he hasn't said how long it will be before I move up a level."

Carlisle used his queen to capture Daniel's bishop. "It will take anywhere from six months to a year to reach yellow level, and to reach blue level will be eighteen more months or two years after that. Sometimes it can take longer. It all depends on how much work you put into it. Pater has to know he can trust you before you gain more privileges."

Daniel looked up from the board. "Trust me over what?"

"Well, this place and the Family are sanctuaries for all of us. Pater will have to know he can trust you not to bring in outsiders who could threaten the Family. That's why he's set up different levels of privileges. Red levels aren't allowed to leave the grounds, yellow levels are allowed to leave only with a group or an escort, and blue levels are allowed to go anywhere on their own. By the time one reaches blue level, she or he understands the need for secrecy."

"What I don't understand is how Pater knows someone can be trusted," Daniel said, glaring at Carlisle's chess pieces. "What is he, psychic?"

Carlisle laughed at the expression on Daniel's face and his comment. "No, he's not psychic. Usually, there are milestones that people reach that tell Pater they're ready to move up a level. Like that preference you have of people not touching you? When you start to allow people to touch you that means you're beginning to trust us." He put out a hand and as if to illustrate the point, Daniel shied away from it. "You see? You have to realize that we won't hurt you, Daniel."

Daniel shrugged. "It's the line of work I'm in, I suppose. You learn to be cautious."

"You'll have to learn to drop that caution if you want to move up a level. It took me two years to get to yellow level, and you can get very, very sick of the compound in that time."

Daniel smiled. "You must have been very stubborn."

"Oh, I was. I never allowed anyone to see how I was feeling, I only spoke when I had to, and I never, never allowed anyone to touch me. Once I started speaking more, showing my feelings, and letting people touch me, then things became much easier."

Daniel grinned and moved one of his men. "Check."

Carlisle stared at the board and made a move that he thought would protect his king.

Daniel's grin widened. "Checkmate."

--

A few days later, Daniel was in the entertainment room, rubbing the back of his neck and looking pained. His neighbor, Raymond, looked at him and shook his head. "Daniel, are you okay?"

"Yeah. Just a little tired."

Raymond sat down next to him. "Tired because you've spent the last few nights sobbing into your pillow?"

Daniel gave Raymond a guilty glance. "Sorry about that. I didn't know anyone could hear me."

"Hey, it's all right," Raymond assured him. "I did my own share of blubbering when I first came. We all did. I cried so much my pillow was more like a wet sponge than a head rest. Pater was worried about me, but slowly, I began to feel better. Do you feel like talking?"

Daniel shrugged. He knew he'd been heard crying at night, but then, that was all part of his plan. He wanted Pater to think he was breaking down, and crying out loud seemed a good way to do that. An added plus was all that emoting got out a lot of tension. Having Pater know he was crying was phase one. Now it was time for phase two.

"Why do you keep rubbing your neck?"

Daniel stopped, looking surprised. "I didn't even know I was doing that."

"Neck hurt?"

"My neck and my back and my head and my shoulders…just about everything hurts."

"Why didn't you ask the infirmary for something if you were in that much pain?"

"It's not really pain, and I don't like to bother them over something so trivial. I'm just…sore, really."

Ray shook his head again and touched Daniel's shoulder. Daniel froze, which seemed to make his headache worse. "I can't believe you're not in worse pain," Ray said. "Your shoulder feels like rock."

"It's nothing."

"_Nothing_ didn't give you a headache," Raymond insisted. "Come on. We're going to the infirmary, and you have no choice in the matter."

"I don't want to take a bunch of muscle relaxants that will knock me out," Daniel complained on their way down.

"They have something better," Ray said as the elevator opened. "You'll like this, I think. Just don't worry about it."

"Hey, guys," Greg said, looking up from a microscope. "Everything okay?"

"Daniel's incredibly tense, and he's starting to hurt," Ray explained. "Any of the girls in?"

Daniel looked at Ray for an explanation. "Girls?" For some reason, he remembered Pater's remarks about intimacy.

"Caro's in," Greg told them. "Good idea, Raymond. Thanks for bringing him down. Just follow me, Daniel."

"Follow you where and to what?" Daniel demanded.

"Caro's one of our physiotherapists. She can help you get rid of that tension, but I have a good feeling you wouldn't like to work with her out in the middle of the infirmary floor. She has her own therapy room, she's back there now, and that's where I'm taking you. Any other questions?"

"What's the capital of Wyoming?"

"Cheyenne, smart aleck. Come on."

"Bye, Daniel. Feel better, man."

"Thanks. Later," Daniel said as he followed Greg down a hall and deeper into the infirmary. The room he was shown into was dimmer than the main room, and warmer. There was also the scent of lavender and sandalwood in the air, and he could hear soothing music playing. Dear Lord, it was a mini-spa!

"I have a patient for you, Caro," Greg said as Daniel caught sight of a blond woman in blue. "You've met Daniel, haven't you?"

"I've seen him at meals," she said. "Hello, Daniel. Good to see you again."

Daniel fought the urge to bolt for the door. He was beginning to wonder just why he'd been brought here. Other than a couch, end table, desk, and a screen in the corner, the biggest piece of furniture in the room was a padded table. "Hi."

"Daniel's incredibly tense and the tension is starting to give him pain. What would you suggest, Caro?"

Caro circled Daniel and pressed her fingers into his back.

"Ow!" Daniel complained, moving away from her. What had she done, tried to dig her way through to his spine?

"I'd say a good workup first," Caro recommended. "After that, I'll know how to proceed. You can leave him with me, Greg."

"And I know I'm leaving him in good hands," Greg said, heading out the door. "See you, Daniel." He left, closing the door behind him.

Caro flipped a switch on the wall beside the door and nodded. "No one will disturb us, now. The occupied light is on. Pater's said that you have a difficult time letting people touch you."

Daniel thought back to his first night. "Yeah, I'd say that's right."

"If I'm going to help you, then you need to trust me enough to let me touch you," she said. "Have you ever had a massage before?"

Daniel felt himself relax some. "Is that all this is? I thought it would be…well, something else."

"No, it's a massage," Caro assured him. "I'm Caro, short for Carolyn. I give massages to practically everybody, and I'm available any time anyone needs one. So, will you allow me to give you a massage, Daniel?"

"I have a choice?"

"Of course you do," she promised. "If you don't want one, then I'd suggest a long, hot soak to get rid of that tension, but there's something more effective and therapeutic in having someone touch you."

Daniel stood there for about a minute, appearing to think. "All right. I mean, I wouldn't mind a massage. I had them at the SGC."

Carolyn showed him to the space behind the screen, where he could undress and wrap up in a warmed robe. He stretched out on the table and let Caro expose his back, and he felt himself relax as she began to work on him. It had been quite a while since he'd had a massage, and he'd forgotten how good it could feel. He had massages after physically or mentally demanding missions and they always made him feel like a human being again.

As he lay there, he thought about his plan. It was a convoluted plan, but it was a plan. He had a goal to work toward, and he always felt better when he had one. He had to convince Pater that he was starting break down so the old man would begin to relax his guard. Phase one was already complete since Pater already knew about his crying. That very morning at breakfast Pater had approached him, asking if he were all right. Phase two was in progress: Getting Pater to believe that Daniel was starting to trust everyone here by seeming to lose his aversion to being touched. Having a massage and allowing Pater to give him a hug seemed like an easy way to start. Every morning Pater had tried to hug him (why he wanted to do that was a mystery since Daniel had not bothered to conceal his loathing, and Daniel had always evaded him if at all possible) but that morning was the first morning that Daniel had allowed it. He still acted weirded out, but it still counted as a hug, and Pater had seemed pleased. Now, if he could just keep his act going, perhaps he would get a chance to get near a phone or computer long enough to get a message to the SGC.

--

Daniel reminded himself over and over again during the next two weeks that he had to get Pater to let his guard down. He swallowed the tonic with only a glare or two, submitted to having a massage every few days (it ate up the time, it counted as socializing, and it helped him relax), and endured Pater's presence every evening. Pater had formed the annoying habit of stopping by his room before he went to bed to ensure he took the tonic and to chat with him a bit. Every night Pater told Daniel about something he had done during the day that he thought was good. Most often, it was the way he'd been talking with others. Another time, Pater complimented him on how he'd stayed with his escort on one of his rare trips outside and how he'd actually suggested a tennis game to Carlisle. He'd had fun, hadn't he?

There were times when Daniel found Pater's "fatherly" attitude terribly aggravating. Still, it seemed as if Pater were beginning to relax some of his hyper-vigilance. Perhaps if he were lucky, in another two weeks Pater would be so relaxed that Daniel would have a chance to call for help.

Only after Pater left did Daniel do what he liked best, which was writing in his journal. There had been a blank book among all the books in his bookshelves, and Daniel had seized on it like a drowning man would a rope. He confided everything to his journal, but he was careful enough to write it all in a shorthand code he'd made up. It was possible that his friends could read the code, but he was positive that no one here knew it. In his journal he described his days, the things he did, his thoughts, the people around him, and everything that Pater said and did. All of this stuff had to be documented anyway, and keeping a journal was helping him to stay calm.

Daniel was in the entertainment room the next morning when a loud crash was heard. People went running out to see what had happened, and there was Pater, lying at the bottom of the stairs, clutching his leg and moaning. Greg came at a run, and while people were distracted, Daniel slipped away. This might be the only chance he'd get to locate a phone.

Frantic searching led him to an office on the first floor, and Daniel could tell it was Pater's. To start with, there were photographs of every person in the house, including him. He recognized the photo as a reconnaissance photo taken of him while he'd still been in Colorado Springs. That was…disturbing.

Tearing himself away from the photos, Daniel headed toward the desk. Sure enough, there was a phone. Thanking God and all his angels, Daniel picked up the handset and listened. Yes! Dial tone! Fingers shaking, Daniel dialed the base.

"Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Base, may I help you?"

"Yes!" Daniel said, elated. "This is Daniel Jackson."

The operator snapped to life, and Daniel could almost hear the guy's spine straightening. "Sir! Do you know your location?"

"No, but can you trace the call?" Daniel pleaded. "I'm not certain how long I have before they realize I'm in here."

Daniel heard the sounds of a keyboard. "Sir?" the operator said, not understanding.

"I'm in someone's office, and I'm not allowed to walk around the building without an escort. It's some huge house out in the middle of nowhere. There's nothing but pine trees when I look outside. The house is red brick, and it has a tennis court, basketball court, swimming pool, and extensive gardens. There's a maze made out of bushes in the east corner. The house is old—I think it's in the Georgian style."

"What about the people who have you, sir?" the operator asked. He knew this might be their only chance to learn enough about Dr. Jackson's kidnappers so he could be found.

"It's a group called the Family, and it's headed by a man named Pater. I think that aside from Pater, everyone else here is a brainwashing victim. Pater uses a lot of those techniques."

"Understood, sir." A moment of silence followed. "We've got a trace! General Hammond and SG-1 are already on their way here."

Daniel fought back the cheer he felt rising in his throat. "That's great. That's really great," he said, fighting with all his determination to keep his voice down. "Have you pinpointed my location yet? I don't know how much longer I have."

"Almost, sir," the operator answered. "Here's General Hammond, sir."

"Son? Daniel? Are you all right?"

"For the time being, yes," Daniel answered.

"DANIEL! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Greg was standing in the doorway, staring at him in horror.

Daniel's hand dropped of its own volition, and the headset dangled from his fingers. He could hear General Hammond's frantic "Son? Son? Daniel?"

On the other end of the line, General Hammond and SG-1 heard only silence.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7

Carl, Phillip, and Greg all but dragged Daniel back to his room, and he was locked in. None of them had spoken to him after Greg had snatched the phone from him and called for Carl and Phillip to come help him with Daniel. He fought them every step of the way, of course, shouting, kicking, swinging, and cursing, but those tactics really weren't effective.

He paced, wondering what he was going to do now. The windows were all locked. Even if he could get the windows open, it was a long way down to the ground, and he could see no way he could climb down. Still, he had to try, so he picked up a chair and threw it at the nearest window, getting quite a shock when the glass didn't shatter.

"Of _course _this place would have shatterproof glass!" Daniel groaned, picking up the chair and putting it back where it belonged. "Damn!"

He sat down and scrawled everything into his journal as quick as he could before putting it back under his pillow. Then, he paced again.

His door buzzed, meaning someone was unlocking it. He swung around, not wishing to keep his back turned to any potential enemy. Just as he suspected, it was Pater, accompanied by Carl and Phillip, the latter of whom was carrying a bag. Pater walked in with the help of a cane, and he took the nearest chair. Carl and Phillip closed the door behind them and stood there glaring at Daniel.

"Hello, Daniel," Pater said quietly. "Have a seat."

"I'm fine," Daniel said quickly, but Carl and Phillip moved forward and maneuvered him into a chair. "Well, since you insist."

Pater looked him in the eye, but remained silent. It was the same look a dad might give a kid who'd done something wrong. Daniel's strongest inclination at the moment was to look down at his toes, but he fought it. This man was not his father, and he wasn't going to let himself be intimidated.

"Daniel, I'm very disappointed in you," Pater began. "What were you doing?"

"I was calling for help," Daniel pointed out. "It's natural for someone who's being held prisoner, you know."

"I thought you were becoming comfortable with us."

"I can't help it if you're wildly optimistic."

Pater sighed.

Carl and Phillip were glaring at him, but he ignored them. Daniel really wanted to ask what was going to happen now, but he stayed quiet. He could wait for an explanation, or he could pretend it didn't matter. Either way kept him from falling into Pater's little game of control. He recognized all of this from the seminars at the base. At the moment Pater was attempting to use guilt on him, to make him doubt himself. Well, it wouldn't work! He didn't say anything, and he didn't shift in his chair. He just waited.

"I think I was mistaken," Pater said at last, sounding sad. "I'd thought that you were beginning to accept us and to accept being here, but I was wrong. You're going to need a lot more work before you begin to accept things. Intensive work, I think."

Daniel didn't say anything. Pater could threaten all he wanted since he was certain that the SGC had managed to trace the call. They would be there soon, thank goodness, and then Daniel could go home.

"The intensive work will begin tonight, and you won't like it, Daniel, but it's for your own good, son."

Daniel stayed quiet, but then he felt hands take hold of him and pull him out of the chair. He was made to sit down in a plain wooden chair, and his arms were forced behind his back. _Now_ he was scared. "What's going on?"

"Intensive," was all that Pater said.

Daniel was sure that Phillip was Harry Houdini re-incarnated since the man had such an incredible talent with tying people up. In about a minute Daniel was tied so securely to the chair that he couldn't move, and Carl forced a gag into his mouth.

"Mmph!" Daniel protested, pulling against the ropes. What the heck was Pater trying to do?

"This is the first part of intensive, Daniel," Pater said, standing in front of him. "You won't be harmed, I promise you. All you have to do is sit there quietly. If you are still sitting quietly by the time I come back, then you'll be allowed up. Do you understand?"

Daniel glared at him, but he gave one curt nod. Pater nodded in return and waved Carl and Phillip out. Pater stood there a moment longer, leaned forward, and gave Daniel a kiss on top of his head, such as any father would give his son. Daniel tossed his head, protesting, but Pater ignored his action. "Remember, Daniel, you must sit quietly." He left, closing the door behind him.

Daniel sat there, wondering what the hell was going on. What did Pater hope to have happen? What did he want to accomplish? What was the purpose to tying him up and gagging him? He thought about it, running through all of his memories of the indoctrination seminars he'd attended, as well as everything he'd read. It took him a bit of time, but he remembered.

Pater was trying to demoralize him. Restricting someone's movement and gagging that person--taking away their speech and thereby removing one of their few methods of self-expression--could demoralize that person very quickly.

Well, it wasn't going to work! He wasn't about to give Pater the satisfaction of breaking him! In a short time the SGC would be swarming this place, and he would be free and able to go home. All he had to do was wait.

--

Sam and Teal'c listened with amazement as Jack cursed. He'd been cursing since the moment they'd lost Daniel, cursing as General Hammond called for several teams of SFs, called for a helicopter, and arranged with authorities to send his teams in. General Hammond hadn't even told them to go get ready to go, for Jack ran for the locker room, still cursing, cursed all through gearing up, and kept cursing under his breath as Hammond briefed everyone on the way to the helipad. Now they were in the helicopter, heading toward where the trace said Daniel was, and Colonel O'Neill was _still_ cursing.

"Has he repeated himself at all?" Sam whispered to Teal'c.

"He has not."

"I thought not."

Some of the things the colonel was saying caused some of the men to hastily stifle laughter while others caused every man in the chopper to blanch.

Sam had a feeling that whoever had kidnapped Daniel and then interrupted his only call for help would not be walking away from any encounter he had with the colonel. Whoever this Pater was, he might not even _survive_ the encounter.

--

The door buzzing brought Daniel awake, and he lifted his head to see Greg with his nightly dose of tonic and a cup of water. He ungagged Daniel and lifted the water to Daniel's lips so he could drink. It was lovely and cool, and it soothed his throat wonderfully. "Thank you."

Greg didn't say anything, but instead lifted the cup of tonic. Daniel swallowed the first sip, but the door crashing open caused Greg to drop the cup.

"Pater says we've got to get out of here," Carl said, rushing forward. "Go, Greg."

Greg left as Phillip started to untie Daniel. "What's going on?" Daniel demanded.

"We're going because you just had to use the phone," Phillip snarled. "If Pater hadn't given me other orders, I'd beat you senseless."

"Phil, bring him!" Carl said, opening the door. "Forget about threatening him! We've gotta go!"

"No!" Daniel shouted as Phillip started pulling him toward the door. "I'm not going with you!"

"Don't be stupid," Carl snapped. "Of course you're going!"

"No!" Daniel windmilled his arm, trying to break Phillip's grip, but Phillip pulled a wrestler's move on him and pinned him against the wall.

"Pater said you might be difficult," Carl muttered. "Hold him still, Phillip."

"Let go!" Daniel ordered Phillip. "Let go of me! I won't go with you!" Daniel craned his head around as Carl came near, and while he could see Carl was holding something, he couldn't tell what that was.

"Be a good boy and take this," Carl said, fussing with whatever it was.

"I'm not swallowing anything!" Daniel snapped.

"Who said anything about swallowing?" Carl wanted to know just as Daniel felt a jab in his shoulder. "Nighty-night, little boy."

--

SFs tore through the house within five minutes, but there was no one there. That started Colonel O'Neill cursing again, and this time, the cursing was truly vicious. More than one person gave Jack a wide berth, but he didn't mind. He felt like killing something. That was why he was surprised when one SF was brave enough to approach him.

"Sir?"

Jack looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"I think we've found the room where they kept Dr. Jackson."

"And what makes you think that?"

For an answer, the airman held out a plain brown book. Jack took it, opened it, and stared at the familiar shorthand covering the pages. "Good work. Where is it?"

Daniel's room was near the library, which must have made him somewhat happy. One SF was already photographing the place, but the sight of the ropes and discarded gag set Jack off again, and this time, more than one man backed away.

"I'll kill this Pater person, and the general will thank me for it," Jack ended, glaring. By this point, Sam was packing everything up for evidence. "What's that?" he asked, pointing to a small plastic cup she held.

"I don't know, sir," she admitted. "It looks like a dosage cup for medicine, and it has some red liquid still clinging to the inside. It looks as if they were giving Daniel some kind of medicine."

Jack started cursing again, and he went on for a full five minutes before he ran out of steam. Sam had to stifle a laugh as she saw one guy writing down what he heard.

"All right, let's get this stuff back to the base and secure this area. We need to get to the bottom of this."


	9. Chapter 9

Daniel woke up with a headache, which wasn't such an unusual event, especially lately. He fought to move, failed, and tried again. On his fourth try he managed to sit up and look about the room, wondering where the heck he was now. It was a smaller room, with just the bed, a table and chair, and a door leading to a bathroom. No shelves of books, no comfy chairs. No windows. There was one other door in the room, but when he got out of bed to try it he found it was locked. Perfect. Just perfect.

He sat back down on the bed, sighing. Where had he been brought? How far was he from home now?

The door opening drew his attention, and he shuddered when he saw it was Pater. "Where are we now?" he asked.

"We're in a different house," Pater told him. "That's all you need to know for right now, Daniel."

"Oh. What now?"

Pater pulled out the chair and sat down. "For tonight, I just want you to rest. In the morning, we'll start work."

"Work?"

"I was foolish enough to assume that since you weren't military, I could treat you like I've treated any civilian here. In your case, I've come to learn that it isn't true, so I looked through your files again. I don't think you were ever going to tell me you'd attended seminars about resisting brainwashing and indoctrination, were you?"

Daniel blinked. "What seminars?"

Pater chuckled, a sound which made the hair rise on the back of Daniel's neck. "The seminars you're pretending you never attended. Knowing that you attended them puts a whole new light on your behavior. The progress I'd thought you made was just an act. Well done. I was actually fooled, and it is a long time since anyone has fooled me to any degree. That is why I devised my intensive program for more resistant people."

Daniel sighed. "What are you going to do, tie me up and flash images on a screen?"

"That's very cliché, Daniel, not to mention ineffective, especially since you already know how to resist such measures. No, intensive will be something quite different."

"Are you going to tell me what it is, or do you plan on leaving me to fret about it?"

"No fretting is required," Pater assured him. "Intensive is a way I use to get people used to me. Your time will be spent exclusively in either my company or your own. You will be dependent on me for almost everything—your meals, your clothes, the majority of your physical needs, and any amusement or distraction. I'll wake you in the morning and see you to bed at night. I will bring your meals and your clothing. I'll bring your tonic and any medications you require. If you need anything else, then I will bring it."

Daniel fought down a desire to start shouting. He had to keep Pater talking, and the way to do that was to keep his temper. "So I'll only see you when I get up, when I go to bed, and meal times?"

"Not in the slightest," Pater said, shaking his head. "No, I'll be spending time with you. We're going to work on your aversion to my company and to being touched."

_Now_ he was beginning to get nervous, and all sorts of unpleasant images flashed in his mind. "How?"

"As I spend time with you, I'll talk with you. You don't have to listen or even answer, but I will ask that you don't try to stop me from talking. Hearing my voice is what's important, and what I say isn't paramount. Hearing my voice will help you come to accept me. After you accept me, then I'll be able to touch you, and your acceptance of me will be complete."

He was no longer nervous; he was frightened. "What _is_ it with you and touching?" he demanded. "You know, it's starting to really scare me. The last person to touch me as much as you're trying to touch me was my wife! What are you looking for, a lover?"

Pater actually looked shocked. "No! No, not at all!"

"Then _what_?" Daniel insisted.

"Daniel, you know a great deal about how people think and interact. One of the most fundamental ways in which our people communicate is through touching one another. Specifically, parents touch their children, especially when they're young, in order to form bonds with them. Even though infants grow up into children, children grow into teenagers, and teenagers grow up into adults, the need for touch and connection remains. You may have fooled yourself into thinking that you're fine without it, but the truth is, most humans thrive on touch."

Daniel didn't say anything. Pater was absolutely right about human beings and being touched, but there was something he'd left out. "What about unwelcome touch? Nothing can be more damaging," he reminded him. "It's like your personal space and your body is being invaded. I certainly don't like you touching me, or even being near me."

"Over time, you'll get used to me," Pater promised him. "Once you're used to me, then my touch won't be repugnant to you. You'll come to welcome it. Everyone else here does, and one day, I promise that you will, too."

Daniel didn't say anything, and he didn't move. Since Pater couldn't see into his head, he couldn't know that at that moment Daniel was telling himself in no uncertain terms to hurry and wake up from the nightmare.

--

Sam finished transcribing the last page into her computer and typed in the command TRANSLATE while she congratulated herself on programming Daniel's shorthand into her system. The computer hummed for several minutes while she went to get a cup of coffee, and when she came back the message TRANSLATION COMPLETE was flashing on the screen. She grabbed for her phone, called the colonel and Teal'c, and then clicked the flashing icon that would allow her to access the complete file. She started reading while waiting for the two men to arrive, but the sound of pounding combat boots distracted her. Both men barrelled into her office, and she had to fight down a snicker as Teal'c just _stopped_ short of ramming into her CO. The man's reflexes were amazing.

"Carter," Jack said as he regained his equilibrium. "What've we got?"

"Well, as we guessed, Daniel kept a journal. This is it. Turns out he began it on the third day of his captivity with Pater when he found a blank book on a bookshelf."

The three of them crowded around the computer screen, reading.

_Day 3:_

_My belief in a benevolent God has been reaffirmed through the wonderful coincidence of there being a blank book for me to write in. I don't know whether I am in purgatory or just plain hell, but this sure isn't Heaven. Heaven would have Sha're and my parents in it, as well as a library that never ends. I have been kidnapped by some group called the Family, and it's headed by a man called Pater. He keeps trying to convince me that my kidnapping is a good thing, that he's my new father, and everyone around me is my new family._

They read through descriptions of Daniel's days, as well as the accounts he made of the tonic incident, his first massage, and every bit of history he could get about everyone there. There wasn't much about anyone, but Daniel included it just the same.

Daniel also included the indoctrination techniques Pater used, and he included floor plans of the house and of the grounds. At the back was a page full of little snippets of info, the most worrying of which was: _Carlisle mentioned 'wherever we go, we are out in the country.' I think this means they have multiple bases._

"If this organization has multiple bases, then locating Daniel Jackson will be quite difficult," Teal'c said.

"Difficult, but not impossible," Jack reminded him. "We'll find him."

"I didn't see this before," Sam said, flipping through the journal. "Oh, Daniel, thank you!"

"What?" Jack asked, surprised. "What's up?"

Sam opened the book and held it up so the two men could see. "Daniel left us pictures," she said, showing two pages that had a sketched portrait of one person each. The ones they were looking at were Pater and "Christy, aka Sylvia." On the next pages were Carl and Phillip, and on the next were Greg and Carlisle. On following pages were sketches of everyone else. At the bottom of each page was a list of each person's physical features: eye color, hair color, skin color, and any distinguishing marks.

"Yes!" Jack said. "All right, we have to get these sketches to the authorities and have them search their missing persons files. Awesome! All right, Danny!"

"To what purpose, O'Neill?"

"Don'cha get it?" Jack asked. "We figure out who these people are and see if there's a pattern. Also, we can ask police to keep an eye out for these people. Just because Daniel isn't allowed to leave their base doesn't mean other people aren't."

"I'll take care of it right away, sir, if you'll notify the General," Sam offered.

"Carter, I like the way you think. Consider it done."


	10. Chapter 10

_Whatever sins I've committed in this life, I'm sure this is the purgatory for them,_ Daniel thought, remaining curled up on his bed. He was sitting up, using his pillow as a back rest, and Pater was in the room's one chair, talking.

He was always talking.

Talking, talking, talking.

Daniel was starting to dream about Pater's voice at night, and that was just frightening.

Perhaps that was what Pater intended.

What did Pater talk about? His favorite topics were the Family, how fulfilling it was for him, how excited Pater and everyone else had been about Daniel's arrival, and how beneficial the Family was for everyone involved. Daniel took note of other topics occasionally—history, society, anthropology, and current events—but for the most part, he didn't hear much. When Pater started talking, he tried to "clock out." He let his mind wander and tried to daydream of places he liked: Egypt, the Oriental Institute, his apartment, his office at the base, the bookstores in town, the library, Café Verre…damn. That reminded him of Christy, which reminded him of his kidnapping, which reminded him of Pater.

It just wasn't fair. There was not one iota of fairness about this situation.

His days followed a pattern that seemed to have a pattern behind it, one that Pater had devised for his own nefarious ends. Daniel would be woken up in the morning by Pater coming into his room, and Pater always had his clothing for the day over his arm. Daniel would take the clothes and disappear into the bathroom before emerging fifteen minutes later, washed and dressed. Breakfast—and Pater—would be waiting. Breakfast never took long, thank all benevolent forces in the universe, and after breakfast Pater would take all the dishes away and return to sit and talk.

And talk. And talk. And talk.

Lunchtime would roll around, and Pater would leave and return with lunch. After lunch, there would be more talking, and talking would usually continue until dinner, occasionally interrupted by a game of chess or cards. Dinner would be more talking, and after supper Daniel would be left on his own for a blessed hour before Pater came back.

The evening sessions of talking were the worst since Pater would spend the evening telling Daniel how much progress he'd made over the day and how much closer he was to accepting his new life. He hated to hear that since it made him wonder if Pater was just saying that, or if it was actually true. Then again, Daniel had to wonder if Pater was saying that just to make him think that.

He wouldn't put it past him. It would be the just way Pater's snakey mind would work.

Bedtime was promptly at ten every night, and Pater would bring fresh pajamas. Daniel would go into the bathroom, change, and surrender the clothes he'd worn during the day to Pater. Pater would take them away and come back a moment later to give him his tonic and sit with him until he dropped off to sleep.

Falling asleep took a very, very long time. The first time Pater sat with him, Daniel asked him not to, but Pater insisted on it. For about three hours Daniel lay in bed, trying to sleep and utterly failing. He didn't know what finally made him fall asleep, but he was thankful that he did.

There were things he missed. He missed walking around and getting exercise. He missed sunlight and fresh air. He missed seeing other people. He missed hearing music and other things besides Pater's voice. He missed music, wandering around, his apartment, the base, and going to the library or bookstore. He missed freedom.

Most of all, he missed his friends.

--

"The stuff in the cup you brought me was nothing more sophisticated than a liquid vitamin," Janet was saying. She'd finished analyzing the remanants of the stuff in the plastic cup and she'd called SG-1 to her office to discuss it. "A very weak liquid vitamin, at that. The concentration of the material in what was left seems to be uniform throughout, and there's hardly enough in that syrup to do any good. Now, I've spoken with Dr. Mackenzie, and after reading Daniel's journal, he's formed the opinion that this 'tonic' is really a control issue."

Jack blinked. "How so?"

"Well, it may be a way of wearing down Daniel's resistance," Janet explained. "Everyone likes to believe that he or she can control what is taken into his or her body, but by being forced to take this tonic, Pater is establishing a type of control over Daniel. Pater doesn't really want to give Daniel a vitamin, he just wants another way to control him."

"Rat bastard," Jack muttered.

"Janet, from what Dr. Mackenzie has read, can he tell anything about Daniel's mental state?" Sam wanted to know.

"Stressed, and he's getting more stressed as time goes by. I think it's safe to say that it's only going to get worse for him. Has there been any answer from any of the law enforcement departments?"

"Not yet," Teal'c said, sounding grim. "We are waiting."

"We've forwarded copies and computer sketches of each sketch Daniel had in his book," Jack said, fiddling with a rubber band. "If those people are seen, hopefully we'll know about it."

"You three know Daniel best, and it's logical to assume that they'll tighten security on him after his distress call. How do you think he'll handle it?"

"He'll absolutely hate it," Jack snarled. "When I get my hands on those..."

"He won't take it well," Sam said quickly, muffling what her CO was saying.

"Indeed."

--

Daniel knew it had only been two weeks since waking up in his present hell, but it felt more like two years. Every day was the same, and the constant dinning of Pater's voice into his head was not helping matters. He lost his appetite, which made him tired, which he knew made him mentally vulnerable, but he was too worn out to care very much.

Pater no longer had any trouble getting him to sleep now.

Another discovery sapped what little power Daniel had left. The door that Pater came through every day opened directly into the old man's bedroom. Even if it were unlocked, Daniel would have to sneak out through Pater's room in order to escape, and he knew that his chances of getting through that room were slim to none.

He started having nightmares. Most of them dealt with being trapped but others dealt with things from his past. Most nights he would wake up, shuddering and feeling terrified. He always kept quiet about these dreams, even though Pater often asked if he'd slept all right.

There was no way that Daniel was going to admit that he hadn't.

One night, Daniel woke up hearing someone screaming, and it took a moment or two for him to figure out that the screaming was his own. Pater was there, sitting beside him, shaking him and trying to wake him up.

"It's all right, Daniel," Pater was saying. "Wake up, now. Wake up."

"I'm trying! I'm trying all the time, but I can't!" Daniel gasped out. "I'm in a nightmare!"

"It's only a nightmare if you let it be one," Pater said, reaching around and rubbing Daniel's back, much the way a parent might soothe a frightened child. "Calm down. Take a deep breath. You're not alone."

It was the kindness that did it. In the next instant, Daniel was sobbing, and he didn't resist as Pater helped him to sit up and lean against him. Daniel flung himself into the offered shoulder and howled, unable to stop and unwilling to stop. All through his crying, Pater held him. He didn't say anything, he didn't shush him, and he didn't seem to be impatient with him. He just held him and offered support, which was what Daniel needed most.

"Here," Pater said quietly, offering Daniel a clean handkerchief once the crying jag tapered off a little. He seemed content to wait while Daniel mopped himself up and concentrated on getting a full breath.

"I can't keep doing this," Daniel said, twisting the now-soggy handkerchief in his hands. "I just can't."

"Doing what?"

Daniel stared at Pater as if the guy was nuts. "Doing _what_? Being here, being cooped up, being slowly driven out of my mind!"

Pater regarded him solemnly. "Daniel, you're the one who determines how long you're in here, not I. At least consider becoming part of the Family, and I'll know I can trust you outside this room."

"You think I haven't DONE that?" Daniel snapped, too tired to remember such things as politeness. "I keep thinking about it all the time! If I just accepted being here, I could be out of this room! I know that!"

"What keeps you from accepting it?"

"Sheer determination, I suppose," Daniel sighed. "I don't want to give up."

"I'm not asking you to give up, Daniel. I'm asking you to accept a gift. That is all. All that remains for you to do is to reach out and take it."

Daniel shook his head. "It's a gift I've never wanted."

"You never wanted a family?"

"Of course I wanted that!" Daniel corrected him. "It's just that this situation is different."

"I don't see one, Daniel. I don't see one at all. I just see your refusal to change and accept things."

Daniel felt a headache starting, and he felt tired, tired, tired. He didn't want to keep fighting. Not anymore.

"Go to sleep, Daniel," Pater said, helping him lie down. "Rest. You'll feel better."

Pater kept repeating that mantra until Daniel finally fell back asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 10

Daniel woke up to the worst headache he'd ever had, and in the course of his life, he'd had hundreds. His head pounded, his neck hurt, and his entire face felt hot and tight. What was wrong with him now? A burning throat made him take a deep breath and try to clear it, but the resulting pain made him give an almost silent groan. He was sick.

"Daniel?"

Daniel forced his eyes open, and for the first time he realized that he was no longer in his prison. "Where am I?" he rasped.

"You're in the infirmary."

Hearing that made Daniel think that he was in the infirmary at the base, and he looked around, but the contours and colors of the room were all wrong. "Infirmary?"

Greg came into his line of vision. "When Pater went to wake you up this morning, he found you dead to the world and burning up, so he had you brought down here. How are you feeling?"

"Awful," Daniel complained, shifting under the covers. Movement now revealed that his joints were hurting as well. "Everything hurts."

"Well, it looks like you have garden-variety influenza," Greg said, pulling out a thermometer. "Here. Under your tongue."

Daniel obediently did what he was asked as Greg checked him over. He took breaths as asked, held the thermometer under his tongue, and held still so his blood pressure could be taken. He was still in a state of semi-shock that he was no longer in prison.

"Feel crummy?" Greg asked, jotting down Daniel's vitals.

"Terribly."

"Feel like you could eat anything? Drink something?"

"I'm thirsty, but I really don't want anything to eat."

"How about some broth and a glass of juice?" Greg suggested. "I want to get some nutrients in you if I can."

"All right," Daniel said, settling on his side. He must have fallen asleep then, because he woke up when someone touched his shoulder.

"Try to drink some of this, Daniel," Greg was saying. "Wake up a little."

Daniel groaned, not really interested in drinking and wanting only to go back to sleep. Greg coaxed him over the next few minutes into a higher level of wakefulness and got him to drink a mug full of beef broth and a glass of watered apple juice. Once he was finished, Greg let him fall back into his pillows and into sleep.

The next few times he woke up, he had more broth and more juice. Vaguely he remembered being helped into the bathroom a few times, but beyond that, nothing really happened. He slept, woke up, and drank what he was given before going back to sleep. He was too tired and feeling far too sick to think about anything, let alone plan how to escape. It was the perfect opportunity, and he was far too sick and tired to take advantage of it.

Jack would have been very disappointed, but even that thought could not motivate him. He felt awful, and he was so very, very tired. He'd reached the point where he had done all he _could_ do, and he could do no more.

--

Janet stared at the readout of the latest sample in shock. She'd had the security teams take as much DNA material as possible from the house where the Family had held Daniel since she felt that it would be beneficial to have the DNA "fingerprint" of as many of the prisoners as possible. They'd brought back lots of stray bits of hair, and every single strand so far had been perfectly normal. This strand, though, was something she'd not seen before. Checking the results again, Janet picked up the phone to call General Hammond. He needed to know about this.

--

Jack was in his quarters, pacing. He'd tried to distract himself with a video game, with solitaire, with television, with some magazines and books, but nothing was working. He, Teal'c, and Sam had all been in her office, hoping for word from the police that someone from the Family had been sighted, but staring at a phone never did make it ring.

The commissary had taken pity on the three of them and delivered a hearty supper for them, but none of them really tasted what they were eating. They kept waiting and praying the phone would ring or an email would come in, but so far, there had been nothing.

It must have been very late when the general arrived, looking ticked. "This is the second time in the past two weeks you three have gone without sleep for longer than forty-eight hours. I know the three of you are worried, but running yourselves into the ground will not help Dr. Jackson."

Jack looked blearily up at his CO. "Hiya, sir. How's the DNA testing coming? Does Doc have any new info?"

General Hammond shook his head. He knew that Dr. Frasier would never lie or jump to conclusions, but he still had a hard time believing what she'd just told him on the phone. "Dr. Frasier will tell us that at oh nine hundred tomorrow morning," he told them. "I'm here to give SG-1 some new orders."

"Can't, sir," Jack said, fighting off a yawn. "Not 'till we find Daniel."

"These orders are to be obeyed immediately," the General persisted. "All three of you are confined to your quarters until oh eight hundred tomorrow. No computers or phones are to be in the quarters with you. If you choose to disobey these orders, then I will have SFs escort you. Is that understood?"

Sam blinked. "Sir, what about--"

"Is that _understood_, SG-1?"

"Indeed, General Hammond," Teal'c said, sounding thoroughly unhappy.

"Yes, sir," Sam said quietly.

All of them looked at Jack. "What?"

"Did you hear my orders, Colonel?"

"Yeah," Jack assured him. "No problem, sir."

General Hammond waited, glaring.

"You mean right _now_?" Jack asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

"I believe that to be his intention, O'Neill."

"If that phone rings while I'm in my quarters, sir, I'll never invite you over for a barbecue again."

"Understood, Colonel. Move."

Now Jack was in his quarters, and he'd had a few hours' sleep (okay, so he'd slept until six) but he was still confined to quarters until eight.

It was so unfair. It was like he was a little kid who'd been sent to his room for a time-out.

He glanced at the clock. 7:23. What was that saying about time flying? Well, he wasn't having fun, so time wasn't flying. He looked at the clock again. 7:24. This waiting was going to drive him nuts.

--

"How does a shaved ice sound?" Greg asked, bringing Daniel's lunch.

Daniel looked up from the book he was leafing through. "What?"

"Shaved ice. They sell packages of it in town, and I thought it would be a good treat to add to your lunch."

Daniel looked at the tray. He'd graduated from broth and watered juices to soup with noodles, rice, or vegetables in it and straight juice. Sometimes he had popsicles or Italian ice for a snack, or a little fruit. This tray had a beef-noodle soup, the broth thick with noodles, carrots, celery, and little flakes of parsley. Next to that was a tall glass of apple juice, and there was a small red cup of something so cold it had frost on it.

It seemed that Greg was taking no chances with his health at all. He was in for a slow convalescence once the last of the virus was gone. Greg was confident that he was over the worst of it, and for Daniel, that was the best news he'd had in a while. He felt well enough to flip through books and magazines, but he didn't feel like reading yet. Maybe the next day.

"Shaved ice sounds great," he said, reaching for it and picking up a spoon.

"Daniel," Greg said, sounding a bit exasperated. "Eat your soup first. I want you to eat the very nutritious stuff first."

"It'll melt," Daniel complained. "I'll have shaved water."

"It will stay cold enough," Greg assured him. "Eat your lunch."

Daniel sighed and took a mouthful of soup. He still didn't know who did the cooking for the family, but the food was always pretty good. Some of it was so good that he wanted the recipes, but so far, the recipes had been denied. He remembered hearing a story about the sanctity of a cook's recipes. It was said that when Queen Elizabeth had asked her cook for a recipe, she'd been refused. Perhaps this cook was a member of that "old school" of cooking? It seemed possible.

He savored the soup and dove into the shaved ice. It tasted just like a pina colada! "Where'd this stuff come from?" he asked, just to make sure. If it was possible, he wanted to get some for himself after he got back home.

"From town. The supermarket. The freezer section."

"You wouldn't know the name of the store, would you?"

"I didn't go," Greg pointed out. "There are a few supermarkets in town. It was Sylvia and a few of the other girls doing the shopping today."

"Oh."

--

"Do you feel better after a good night's rest, SG-1?" General Hammond asked as they entered the briefing room.

"You're still not invited to the barbecue, sir," Jack said. "But my sleep-deprivation headache's gone."

"That's good. Dr. Frasier will be up in a moment."

"No, I'm here now," she said, scooting into the room. "Morning. I have printouts for everyone."

"The DNA information?" Sam asked, taking her copy.

"Yes, of one individual, really," Janet said, passing out the rest of the printouts. "According to the results, the person the DNA sample came from is not fully human."

Jack felt his eyebrows go up so high he was certain they were going to make a permanent home in his hair. "What?"

"Dr. Frasier, if the individual is not fully human, then what is he?"

"Well, the individual is male, that much I can tell. It seems as if this person is part human and part...something else. I can't tell. There are genetic structures that aren't human, but somehow, they're managing to work with the human genetic structures with no problem."

"Goa'ould?" Jack asked, feeling cold.

"No," Janet promised him. "Not a Goa'ould. Something else. Something different. I have no way of knowing what it is without a larger specimen to study, but part of it _is_ human."

"So, one of those people in that Family is part human and part...something else. Great."

"Do we have any way of guessing or extrapolating what this thing is?" Sam asked, concerned.

"Thanks for using the small word as well as the big word, Carter."

"I'm learning, sir."

Janet shook her head. "We can guess for years and never really hit on it. One very intriguing thing is that there is a dopamine-like chemical in high concentrations within the sample itself. The best I can tell from testing is that it is very...focused. It may have only one function. I can synthesize it, but I'm hesitant to test it. I can't really know what its effects are."

"Dopamine?" Jack said thoughtfully. "Why does that sound familiar?"

"I'm sure it's been mentioned at some point in your hearing, colonel," Janet said. "Dopamine is a neurotransmitter--a chemical--in human brains. It controls movement and the flow of information to our frontal lobes from the rest of the brain. Disorders in dopamine levels can cause problems in memory, attention, and problem solving."

"Isn't it also known as the 'reward chemical'?" Sam asked thoughtfully.

Janet nodded. "It is. It's heavily associated with the pleasure center in the brain. Naturally-rewarding experiences like a good meal, a massage, or making love will release it. However, it's also released during painful or negative experiences, and I'm not certain what this chemical is really for."

"So let's whip up a batch of it and test it," Jack said. "I volunteer."

"No, colonel," Janet and Hammond said immediately.

"Well, how _are_ you planning on testing it? Rats?"

"That may be our only option," Janet said firmly. "I am not going to test an unknown chemical on a human being. Besides, dopamine can't be ingested or injected into the body since it can't cross the blood-brain barrier. It has to be applied in other ways, and I'm pretty certain you would not like them."

"You know, the Air Force frowns on animal testing, Doc. The rats didn't do anything to you. Besides, people take dopamine all the time," he reminded her.

"They take a synthetic precursor to dopamine, sir, not the straight stuff," Janet informed him. "Now, I've ordered some rats to test on, and they are on their way. Once I know more, I'll inform you, and only _then_ will I even _consider_ testing its effect on a human being."

Jack muttered something that sounded like "Napoleonic powermonger," but Janet ignored him.

"Thank you, Doctor," Hammond said. "SG-1, you are still on stand down until Dr. Jackson is located, but try to spend some time today away from the phone and computers. I really don't want to have to order you off the base for some down time."

All three of them stared at him, but it was Teal'c who voiced what he was thinking. "You would not be that cruel, General Hammond."

"Don't push me to it, Teal'c," Hammond told him. "I don't want to do that, but I will if I don't see you taking a little time for yourselves. There's the gym on base, and we have the library and commissary. Just make sure you don't spend all of today hovering over the phone."

"Understood, sir," Jack said, sounding a bit put out.

Hammond nodded. "Dismissed."

Jack led the way out of the briefing room and turned down the hallway that would lead to Sam's office.

"Uh, sir?"

"Carter?"

"Didn't General Hammond say he didn't want us hovering over the phone?"

"He said he didn't want us to spend all day hovering over it," Jack reminded her. "I intend to follow those instructions."

"You do, O'Neill?"

Jack smiled at Teal'c. "Well, sure. I know for a fact that it will take me at least ten minutes to get my lunch from the commissary today, and ten minutes for supper, if I go at peak times. Add to that the required bathroom breaks, and I'll spend about a half-hour to forty-five minutes away from the phone. If the line's moving really slow in the commissary, then I'll spend about an hour away from the phone. General Hammond did say a 'little time' for ourselves, and that's what I'm going to do. Orders followed to the letter."

"I like the way you think, sir."

"As do I, O'Neill," Teal'c said, fighting down a little smile.

"Glad to hear it, kids. Let's go hover over a phone for a while."


	12. Chapter 12

Janet stood staring down at the colonel, wondering if the man had finally gone off the deep end as he'd been threatening to do for as long as she'd known him. She'd done the testing on her rats, and all she got were some very mellow rats. Seeing that result, Jack had insisted on being her human guinea pig in order to spare any real guinea pigs, and the general had given the testing the OK. Now she had one very, _very_ mellow colonel who couldn't seem to be serious for longer than a few seconds at a time.

"I'm tellin' ya, if Pater ever puts this stuff in a bottle, he'd have a fortune," Jack was saying, smiling bemusedly up at the base's CMO. "I feel great. I feel like one big, warm fuzzy."

Sam suddenly shot out of the infirmary and Janet could hear her friend choking on laughter out in the hallway. Teal'c simply raised an eyebrow.

"So you feel good?" Janet asked.

Jack smiled beatifically up at her. "Yup."

"How else do you feel?"

"Fuzzy," Jack said, looking vaguely thoughtful. "_Real_ fuzzy. Good. Nice and cozy. Kinda cuddled. I don't know if there's words for how this feels. Like being wrapped in a big blanket of calm and coziness. I dunno. How did the rats feel?"

"About like you," Janet said, shaking her head. "What I can't believe is that this stuff can cross the blood-brain barrier. From what I can tell, it can be taken into the body in any way. Intravenously, orally, through the skin..."

Jack held out his hand. "Slather it on, doc."

"I think you've had enough," Janet said. "Just enjoy what you have for right now."

"Okey-dokey."

General Hammond turned to Dr. Frasier. "Is there any chance of dependency? Adverse effects?"

"None that I've observed, sir," Janet assured him. "The rats went on it, were mellow, and then it wore off. They were fine, even with multiple doses over the last few days. Now the colonel's mellow."

"Mellow isn't the word to describe it," Jack said. "I feel really great. Like I've done everything right."

Sam came back in and heard what the colonel had said. "Janet, do you think Pater might be using this stuff on Daniel?"

"It's fully possible," Janet admitted. "In fact, I think it's completely probable that he is. This is the most…focused…version of a dopamine compound that I've ever seen. It creates the feeling of a rewarding situation no matter what the circumstances are."

"To what purpose would Pater use such a compound?" Teal'c asked.

"I'm thinking that it has to do with how good this stuff makes you feel," Jack said, idly tossing a pillow up and down. "Maybe he wants to try to Pavlov Danny into staying with him."

"Pavlov?" Teal'c said, not understanding.

"Pavlov was a Russian scientist who did an experiment involving dogs. He taught them to salivate at the sound of a bell through a system of rewards."

"Like I said," Jack stated from his infirmary bed. "Get him feeling good enough and he'll have a hard time leaving. Daniel loves those warm, fuzzy feelings."

"That's why I'm so worried," Hammond said, looking at Jack. "If this stuff can make you the happiest man in America, I'd hate to think what it would do to Dr. Jackson."

--

Daniel woke up to the hushed infirmary sounds he'd grown used to over the past few days: Greg moving about and working, the sound of the medical equipment he was using, and occasionally, the sound of the keys on his laptop.

He wanted that laptop the way a thirsty man wanted drink, but Greg never left it out where he could get at it. If he had to leave the infirmary, he always either took it with him or locked it in his office.

Daniel was certain that Greg was just _taunting _him with it.

Greg, seeing him awake, came over to his bedside, setting aside the laptop. "Hi, Daniel. How are you feeling?"

Daniel shook his head. "How long is this supposed to last? I still feel like I've been run over by a steamroller."

"You'll feel that way for a while," Greg said, checking him over. "Believe it or not, you're actually getting better."

"I've had the flu before," Daniel muttered. "It's never taken me this long to get over it."

"Well, you've been through a lot of stress lately, and that can wear you down as well as suppress your immune system," Greg reminded him.

"Is the cause of my stress around?"

"I've asked Pater to stay away until you're a little more better," Greg took the liberty of telling him.

"Good."

Greg rolled his eyes as he jotted down his observations on Daniel's chart. "You know, Pater can be pretty good company when you're sick."

Daniel pulled the blankets over his head. "I don't care, Greg."

"No, really, he can," Greg persisted. "When any of us are sick, Pater's perfectly happy to read to us, play cards, chess, or hunt down a snack we have our hearts set on."

"To reiterate, I don't _care_," Daniel said, sitting up and glaring at his doctor.

"Fine, have it your way and be bored. You mentioned yesterday that you wished you could read."

"That doesn't mean I want _him_ to read to me," Daniel pointed out. "You'd think that after all this time my dislike of Pater would be understood."

"Oh, no, we understand you don't like Pater," Greg corrected him. "The thing is, we're hoping you'll change your mind sometime. He really cares about all of us, and he cares about you, Daniel."

"See, that's what makes him so creepy," Daniel said, pouncing on that one point. "_Why_ does he care about me? You know, he acts like a fond father and he even has a picture of me on his wall, but I don't want to have anything to do with him. The fact that he's so persistent about this whole nightmare is what's creeping me out the most."

Greg put Daniel's chart away. "We were all creeped out at first, Daniel. We had trouble believing that Pater cared about us, too. We've been where you are, but I promise, it'll get better. One day soon there'll be a time when you're glad that Pater brought you into the Family."

Daniel cursed the headache that kept him from reading and from thinking for longer than a few minutes. "I doubt that, Greg."

"If you say so," Greg said philosophically. "Hungry? It's almost suppertime."

"Not really."

"Well, you should be," Greg admonished. "I'll order you some soup and hopefully having it around will jumpstart your appetite. You've lost more weight than I like. We need to get you back in shape, Daniel."

Daniel looked at him. "Why?"

"We're going to go to Europe for vacation in a month," Greg said, grinning. "Pater has houses all over the Continent. It wouldn't be fun touring Europe as a convalescent, would it?"

Daniel felt his heart start beating very fast. "Europe?"

"Yup," Greg said, dialling the kitchen. "What type of soup would you like?"

"Doesn't matter," Daniel said quickly, not wanting to be distracted from this new information. He stayed quiet until Greg hung up the phone (Daniel hated the infirmary phone. What good was a phone when it couldn't connect to an outside line?). "We're going to Europe?"

"In four short weeks."

"Where will we be going?"

Greg didn't look up from the papers he was arranging. "Oh, all over. England, Ireland and Scotland first, then France, Germany, Spain, Russia, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway...lots of places in no particular order, really. You'll like it."

"For how long?"

"For as long as it takes," Greg said. "There's no rush to come back to the States, is there?"

With those words, Daniel pulled himself out of bed and made a beeline for the bathroom, fighting dry heaves that were threatening to choke him. Greg rushed after him and supported him until his diaphragm stopped contracting and let him be. He flinched when Greg put a damp cloth on the back of his neck, but it felt wonderful.

"Was that a reaction to my news, or is your stomach bothering you?" Greg asked as he assisted him back to his bed.

Daniel moved the cloth from the back of his neck to his forehead as he lay down. "Does it matter?"

"I think it does," Greg insisted.

"A reaction, I guess."

"Ah. You don't want to go."

"What do you think?" Daniel demanded crossly, placing the cold compress on his eyes.

"I think you worry too much," Greg told him. "After you eat, I'm going to give you something to help you relax, and before you even say anything, no amount of arguing will get you out of it. It's just a mild oral sedative, and you've probably had it a dozen times at the SGC."

Daniel shrugged just as the door opened and Sylvia's voice made him sit up and open his eyes. "How are you feeling, Daniel?"

"The less said about that, the better," he said, settling back into his pillows. "Why are you here?"

"I wanted to see how you were," she said, sitting in the chair next to his bed. "And I wanted to talk to you. We haven't really talked since you arrived."

"Can't imagine why," Daniel said acerbically.

"I know you're angry with me," she said as Greg left, giving them some privacy. "But I wouldn't have done this--I wouldn't have helped bring you into the Family if I thought you could never be happy with us."

"Well, you thought wrong," Daniel said, examining the tray she'd brought. "The last time I was this miserable was a while ago, but trust me, I feel now like I did then."

Sylvia bit her lip. "Daniel, do you think you would have joined the Family if I'd simply told you about it? Described it and answered your questions, and then brought you to everyone so you could meet them? Would you have considered staying then? With me?"

Daniel took a deep breath and pressed his hands over his eyes. "Why are you asking me this?"

"Because I still care about you," she said, sounding as if she were fighting tears. "I've asked Pater not to keep you isolated anymore. I've asked him to give you more freedom. I miss you, and I can't stand the thought of you being kept shut up all the time."

"Yes, you can," Daniel said quietly, looking at her. "You can stand the thought of me being shut up."

"How can you say that?" she demanded, staring at him.

"Let me ask you this," he said, holding up one finger. "Why did you ask Pater to give me _more_ freedom instead of my _complete_ freedom?"

She didn't answer, but she did look at him.

"The answer is that you're afraid I will leave if I were given my freedom," he said, putting his hand down. "And you know what? Your fear would be correct. I would leave immediately. If you really cared about me, if you really _loved_ me the way you think you do, you would do everything in your power to help me."

"But this is the best place you can be," she protested. "I loved you enough to bring you here. Don't you love me enough to stay with me?"

Daniel thought about how he'd felt and sighed. "I thought I did. Before I was brought here, really. Now, I don't know. I can't feel anything anymore besides fear and anxiety and fatigue. I think I've gone numb inside."

She looked at him, shaking her head. "Don't say that."

"Do you want me to lie?" he demanded. "I won't do that. I won't lie to you, even though you lied to me. You can't keep love shut up, Sylvia. It withers and dies when that happens. Well, you've seen it happen, haven't you?"

Fighting tears, she jumped up from the chair and ran from the room. Daniel lay where he was, wishing a thousand things that would make no difference now.

"That was cruel, Daniel," Pater said, coming in a few minutes later.

Daniel glared at him. "I don't care."

"You don't _care_?" Pater said incredulously. "How can you not care when she cares for you so much?"

"If she cared for me, she would not be helping you to keep me prisoner," Daniel stated.

"Daniel--"

"Don't you _dare_ try to make me feel guilty," Daniel snarled. "I've had it with your 'concerned father' act when all you really are is a jail warden and brain washer."

"Daniel!" Pater sounded shocked.

"You're trying to deny it?" Daniel asked, giving a bleak laugh. "Ridiculous."

"This isn't about your dislike of me, it's about the way you've just treated Sylvia," Pater said, returning the topic he felt was important.

"I'd thought I'd made my feelings clear," he muttered. "Did I not make them clear enough? Call her back, and I'll be sure she knows."

"How can you say something like that?" Pater demanded, losing patience. "How can you be so...so heartless?"

"Perhaps it's being shut up that does it," Daniel suggested. "If you have a better theory, I'm sure I 'd find it amusing." Even as he said those words, Daniel had to wonder how he _could_ say them. Normally he didn't say things that were so...well, awful. He always thought it was better to keep his own counsel rather than win an argument or shock someone, but his mouth seemed to have a mind of its own tonight. He tried to summon up some small shred of remorse for what he'd said, but it was too difficult to pursue it that long.

Pater approached him, shaking his head. "I'd hoped that it wouldn't come to this, Daniel."

Daniel glared at him. "Stay away from me."

"This will help you feel better," Pater said, reaching out to put a hand on his forehead.

"Get away!" Daniel screamed, rolling off the opposite side of the bed. "Stay away from me!"

Hearing the noise, Greg returned, shortly followed by Carl and Phillip.

"Hold him still," Pater ordered as Carl and Phillip began to try to corral Daniel.

"Get back!" Daniel shouted. "Don't touch me!" Frantic now, he tried to rush past all four men, but Carl brought him down in a tackle that drove the air from his lungs and left him gasping. Carl pulled him to his feet and Phillip joined him, the two of them pinning him between them.

"It will be all right, Daniel," Pater soothed as he approached. "It will be fine. You'll like this."

"Don't!" Daniel shouted as Pater laid a hand on his forehead. "No!"

"Ssh, son. My child. It will be all right."

That was the last thing that Daniel heard before falling into darkness that came up from nowhere to carry him away.

--

Colonel O'Neill was napping, but he still had a smile on his face. Janet found that endlessly amusing, and from what she could tell, Teal'c, Sam, and General Hammond felt the same way. They kept peeking into the curtained alcove of the infirmary where Jack was sleeping, and more than once she saw the general shake his head in an amused, grandfatherly sort of way. It was rare to see everyone so peaceful and actually relaxed, and she was enjoying the change from worried alertness that had been the state of things since Daniel's disappearance.

That was why she almost cursed when the phone rang, shattering their fragile peace.

The general got to it first. "Hammond. Yes. Put him through."

Jack sat up so quickly that it looked like his spine had been spring-loaded.

"This is General Hammond. You have news for me?"

Every ear in the infirmary was listening.

"Yes. Yes. Uh-huh. Yes. Yes, we will." He grabbed a pad and pen and began writing. "Understood. Yes, we'll be bringing our own teams in. Helicopters. By all means keep them under surveillance until we arrive, but do not approach them. It's a matter of national security. Yes. Your cooperation is paramount and will be greatly appreciated. Yes. Thank you." He hung up and turned to the anxious people around him.

"Dr. Jackon's sketch of Christy Harrison has been matched to a woman that a police officer saw shopping the other day. They're in a small town on the east coast."

Jack's happy-go-lucky attitude faded almost at once as he started to pull on his boots. "I'm ready."

"You're under the influence of a drug, colonel."

"For cryin' out loud, sir, I feel fine!"

"He's right," Janet said, giving him a quick once-over. "He seems to have shaken off the drug pretty quick."

"Can we go?" Jack persisted. "Pleeease?"

"Let's go, people. Let's bring Dr. Jackson home."


	13. Chapter 13

Daniel woke up, his head oddly fuzzy and fear coming up in his throat to choke him. He couldn't breathe, couldn't move, couldn't talk, couldn't think, and couldn't manage to even call for help. Why was he so afraid? He felt tears sting his eyes and spill over, streaking down his face and soaking the hair at his temples. What was _wrong_ with him? He felt himself start to shake, and that reaction allowed him to take a breath. The breath turned into a scream.

"Daniel?" he heard. "Daniel, son, it's all right. I'm right here."

"What's wrong with me?" he gasped. "What _is_ it?"

"You've been ill," the older man said. "You'll be just fine in a little while."

As he spoke, the old man sat down beside Daniel and wrapped his arms around him, trying to soothe him. As soon as the man touched him, Daniel felt the fear abate and his breathing ease.

Daniel felt relief flood through him, and looked around. He was in what looked like an infirmary, he was in bed, and the man with him…he looked up at him, trying to place him. He knew this man, but what was his name?

"Is that better?" the man asked, looking down at him. "You're not so frightened now, are you?"

Daniel shook his head. "No." He studied the man who held him and felt a name come to mind. "Pater?"

"Yes?"

"Your name is Pater?"

"Yes."

"Why was I so afraid?" Daniel asked, feeling a sense of urgency. Some vague feeling inside told him that he was not usually so afraid and that something had happened to cause the fear. Something…something…to do with…this man?

"Perhaps a nightmare?" Pater suggested. "When you're ill you can sometimes have odd dreams."

"I don't think so," Daniel managed to say. "I wasn't afraid until I woke up."

Pater smoothed his hair with one hand while he held him. "I don't know, Daniel."

"How do you know my name?" Daniel asked, beginning to feel very confused. He had a strong feeling that he should know this man and the place where they were, but so far, all that he could remember was this sense of things being _wrong_.

"You're my son, Daniel."

Daniel looked up and stared at him. "I don't think so. My parents died when I was little."

"Can't orphans be adopted?"

He nodded. "My grandfather didn't release me for adoption, though. Besides, I'm fully grown. I'm an adult."

"Adults can be adopted."

Something was wrong here, but he couldn't figure out what it was. "And you adopted me? I agreed to it?"

"You said you wanted a family, and we were happy to have you."

"We?"

"I have other children, Daniel. They're your brothers and sisters now."

Daniel shook his head. "This…this is confusing."

"Well, you've been ill for several days," Pater reminded him. "It will take a while for you to feel better." Pater stopped and appeared to listen. "Sylvia? You can come in, now. No sense hiding out there."

The door opened, and a woman walked in. For the first time, Daniel felt the slightest sense of recognition.

"Daniel, this is Sylvia. You and she are close friends."

From the way he was feeling, he had a hunch that they were _very_ close. Why, though, did he feel that her name wasn't Sylvia? Why did he feel as if he knew her by a different name? Most strange of all, why didn't he feel he could trust her?

"How are you feeling, Daniel?" she asked, coming to sit on the other side of him.

"Better, I think," Daniel said truthfully as Sylvia took his hand. As Pater took his other hand he felt well-being and peace rush through him, and he relaxed.

"You're tired," Pater said, rubbing his back. "This illness has exhausted you. You'll have to spend a little more time here in the infirmary, but you'll be better soon. I promise you that."

Daniel felt Pater move away from him and settle him back into the pillows behind him, and he was more than happy to settle back. He felt sleepy and relaxed now, as opposed to how he'd felt earlier. His eyes closed, and he lay there, half asleep and half awake.

"Is he sleeping?" he heard Sylvia say.

"Yes," Pater answered. "He's asleep."

"Do you think he believed us?"

"I'm fairly certain he believed us. All we need to do over the next few days is to keep telling him what we told him today, and then we allow him to come back to himself completely. He won't remember the time that we kept him in this state, but when we begin to tell him things, he'll be much more suggestible to what we tell him. He'll accept things much more easily than he has up until now."

He heard Sylvia sigh. "That's good. If he accepts things, he'll stay."

"Yes, he will. In a few more weeks we'll all be in Europe, and his friends won't be able to find him and interrupt our lives again. Everything will work out, love. You'll see."

"Thank you, Pater."

"My pleasure, my dear. Not only do I get to make my daughter happy, I gain a son. Now, I know a certain young lady that has to redecorate a room so it will be ready for a future roommate. Would she like some help from a certain father?"

"Yes, she would," Sylvia said, sounding amused. "What do you think Daniel would like?"

"Books. Lots and lots of books," Pater answered as Daniel heard them both rise. "And possibly some things to do with Egypt or ancient cultures. Did you already buy everything?"

"Perhaps I should show you what I have?"

After that, Daniel was sure they'd left the infirmary. He lay in his bed, fighting to open his eyes. From what he'd heard, then Pater and Sylvia weren't his family. He wasn't supposed to be with them. How had they messed with his head like this? _Had_ they messed with his head? From what he'd heard, he could draw no other conclusion. _Why_ couldn't he remember anything from before waking up?

_Friends. __**Friends.**_

He remembered Pater mentioning friends. Friends who were looking for him? Friends who knew him? Had they found him once already, only to have Pater hide him again? That had to be it.

Who were his friends?

He fought to sit up, to open his eyes, to make some noise, _anything_, but he couldn't move. His body wouldn't obey him. His muscles stayed slack, his eyes remained closed, and his breathing stayed regular. To any outside observers, he would appear asleep, even though he really wasn't. What perplexed him the most was why Pater hadn't been able to tell he was actually awake.

He had no idea how long he lay there before the ability to move came back. He shifted, managing to roll over onto his side and open his eyes. It took longer to sit up, but he managed it after a few minutes. He was just thinking about getting to his feet when the door opened. In the doorway stood a man not much older than he was, with blond hair, glasses, and troubled eyes. "Daniel?"

Daniel looked at him. Could this be one of his friends? "Who are you?"

"I thought you might not remember me," the man said. "You've known me since you came here."

Daniel blinked, surprised. "Since I came here? How long have I been here?"

"A couple of months, give or take a few days."

"I don't remember that. I don't remember anything like that!"

"I know," he said, coming into the room and closing the door.

"Who are you?"

"My name's Carlisle. You and I would play chess or cards sometime, and we'd talk."

"Why can't I remember anything?"

"Because Pater's been messing with your head," Carlisle said, coming closer and sitting down in a chair. "He does that with anyone who doesn't settle down after a few weeks. As time went by, you got worse instead of better, so he did something to your head. I don't know how he does it or how he even _can_—it seems impossible, but he does it."

"How do you know?" Daniel asked, feeling very frightened.

"Because I've seen him do it to other people. He's done it to Carl, to Caro, to Greg, and a couple of others. He doesn't do brainwashing, really. It's more like he…I don't know. Partially reformats their brains?"

Daniel stared at Carlisle.

"I think he takes memories he finds inconvenient for you to have and somehow locks them away," Carlisle clarified.

"What makes you think that?"

"Because I know who I am," Carlisle said. "I know my name. Carlisle. I know that I grew up with only an old grandfather taking care of me, but I can't remember what his name was, what he looked like, or where I grew up. I knew I went to college and worked somewhere when I got older, but I can't remember which school I attended or where I worked. I can't remember where I lived. I can remember that at one time I had a wife, but I don't know what her name was, what she looked like, or if she's alive or dead. I can't even remember my last name."

"He did this to you, too?" Daniel said.

"I can't think of any other reason why I would forget everything," Carlisle admitted.

Daniel thought about what Carlisle had told him. "Why are you telling me all this?"

"Because you're the only one whose friends have come close to finding you. Pater has too many early-warning systems set up for your friends to come here in time to help you, but you could go to them, and maybe, your friends would be willing to help the rest of us find out who we are."

"Do you know who my friends are? What my name is? I can't remember."

Carlisle nodded. "Your name is Daniel Jackson. Their names are Colonel Jack O'Neill, Major Samantha Carter, and Teal'c. They all work at the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Base, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. If you can get away you can find the police. I'm sure your friends would have sent out bulletins about you to all of the police departments they could."

"How can I get away?" Daniel asked urgently. He'd felt a sense of familiarity when he'd heard those names, and that familiarity made him even more anxious.

"There's a garage at the end of this hall and down one level," Carlisle said. "Can you walk?"

"I haven't tried yet," Daniel said truthfully. He got to his feet and managed a few steps. "Yes, I can."

"I'll walk with you," Carlisle said. "Come on, we don't have much time before someone else comes to check on you."

Carlisle led him out of the infirmary and down the hall, being very careful to stay quiet.

"Why don't you just come with me?" Daniel asked as they reached the end of the hall and started down in the elevator.

"Pater would suspect something immediately if I wasn't around. I started asking questions that bothered him, and he's been watching me since then. He won't think to look for you outside of the infirmary and I can create a distraction while you get away."

"What if Pater decides to run and takes you with him?" By this time they were in the garage and Carlisle led him to a car.

"Do you think you can drive?" Carlisle asked as he unlocked the door.

"I think so," Daniel said, trying to remember when he'd driven. "At least, I'm fairly certain I can. But why don't you come with me?"

"Because I have a plan," Carlisle said, helping him to sit down. "This will distract Pater long enough so he stays where he is until your friends can send the police. Once the police arrest Pater, we'll be safe from him, and the police can help us figure out who we are."

"I hope this plan of yours works," Daniel said as Carlisle put the keys into the ignition. "Whose car is this?"

"Pater's," Carlisle said truthfully. "Now, after I leave the garage, count to two hundred before driving out. As you drive toward the door it will open automatically, the same with the gate leading to the road. Turn to the right, and that will take you to the nearest town and police station." Carlisle turned away, as if he were ready to leave, but Daniel stopped him.

"Carlisle, why are you doing this now? Why didn't you do this sooner?"

"Because since you came you've made me think," Carlisle said. "I'm tired of not knowing who I am. I want my life back."

Daniel nodded. "Good enough. Good luck."

"Same to you."

Carlisle left, and Daniel began to count. Once he reached two hundred he turned the key to make the car rumble to life. He moved the stick to D and hit the gas, and just as Carlisle said, the garage door opened. The sunlight blinded him momentarily, but he recovered and sped down the driveway toward the gate. It opened and he sped right, hoping that the town wasn't too far away.

--

Police Chief Charlie Camden sat in his police car and swore under his breath. He'd just gotten a call from dispatch that the US Air Force was on its way into town over that call he'd made about the missing woman he thought he'd seen at the supermarket. He just wasn't used to much happening. Occasionally he'd be called about some vandalism by the local kids or for a very rare disturbance of some kind, but he was sure that most of the people in town were law-abiding folk who never made waves or even went over the speed limit. That was why, when the Mercedes rushed past his car and the radar said nearly eighty miles an hour, he nearly swerved off the road in surprise. Cursing, he switched on his lights and siren and rushed after the car, praying that he could get it to stop before it went rushing down Main Street.

Almost as soon as the siren started, however, the car pulled over. Thank God for small miracles.

He pulled up behind the car, got out, and approached, just as he'd been trained to do. There was a man sitting inside the car with his hands on the wheel, but there were no passengers.

"Sir, do you know how fast you were going?" Charlie asked, hoping that the man would be cooperative.

"Um, about eighty, right?"

"Eighty in a forty-five mile-per-hour zone," he confirmed. "Now, why were you speeding?"

"I was trying to get your attention."

Sometimes, Charlie reflected, a person could be a little _too_ honest. "Okay, you've got it. Why do you want it?"

"Take me to the station," the man said, sounding very wound up. "Please."

"I don't need to do that," Charlie said. "I can see you're from out of town, so I was just going to let you off with a warning, really."

"No!" the man insisted. "I want to go to the station!"

"Why?"

"Because it would be safer there than it would be out here," the man said.

Charlie blinked. This was definitely an eleven on his weirdness meter. "Safer?"

"Yes, much safer," the man agreed.

Charlie fought to remember if he'd received a bulletin about any patients escaped from county mental health. "Could I see your license and registration?"

"I don't have either one," the man said.

"Aren't they supposed to be kept in the glove compartment?"

"Well, I stole this car, you see, and I don't know if they would be in there or not. Besides, they wouldn't be mine, would they?"

The whole situation just kept getting worse. "All right, get out of the car," Charlie said, stepping back. "Put your hands on the car and spread your feet."

He did so, and Charlie got yet another shock. The man was wearing pajamas and he was barefoot. Yep, he'd definitely have to call county mental health about this one. Charlie patted him down, handcuffed him as a precaution, read him his rights just in case a crime _had _been committed, and put the man in the back of the car. He grabbed the keys to the Mercedes, locked it up, and took his own seat in front of the cruiser before calling dispatch to advise them he was bringing someone in. He would run the car's plate from the office after he took care of this guy. He didn't like this guy being out on the streets.

"_Roger that,"_ dispatch said. _"Be advised that the Air Force has just arrived."_

Charlie groaned and laid his head on the steering wheel. When misfortunes came, they never came alone. What _else_ could go wrong today?

"Are we going to the station now?" the man asked.

"Yes," Charlie groaned. "Now be quiet. I've got a headache."

It didn't take long to get to the station, and once they got there Charlie felt his jaw drop open in shock. The place looked like a combat zone with vehicles and all the people dressed in military black running around, toting semi-automatics and wearing helmets and ammunition bandoliers. All that apparatus looked a little much for just a "short reconnaissance" that the AF rep had claimed they were going to make. Someone from the station was talking to an older man holding a P-90 and a deadly expression, and when he saw Charlie he pointed.

"Thanks," the man said, turning toward Charlie. "Chief Camden?"

"Yes?" Charlie said, wondering if World War Three were about to break out.

"I'm Colonel Jack O'Neill, and I'll be leading this operation."

"Oh, good." He didn't know what else to say to that.

"You're probably wondering why we've descended en masse on you like this, so I'll be brief," the colonel continued. "One of our people from the base disappeared while in the company of that woman you identified for us, and we have a strong reason to believe that he may still be with her against his will. He's very important to the country, as you might have guessed. Can you tell me if you've seen this man?"

Charlie took the picture he held and stared at it. _This_ guy was important to the country? "Yes, I've seen him. Pulled him over for speeding. He's in the back of the cruiser."

Colonel O'Neill looked past him and stared at the cruiser. In the next moment, the stern colonel was gone. "DANNY-BOY!"

The shouted exclamation caused two women, one man, and a giant to whip around. They moved past Charlie in a stampede, but the giant stopped long enough to insist that the door of the cruiser be unlocked. Charlie did so, and the colonel pulled the man out, hugging him. While the man's friends converged, Charlie wrestled the handcuffs off him and let his friends surround him, feeling relieved. _They _could deal with this man and whatever was wrong with him.

--

Daniel felt as if his mind suddenly expanded to five times its size. Each face he saw helped him remember things, and those things led to more memories, and those memories helped him remember more. He could remember everything--his family, losing his parents, going to college, working at Cheyenne Mountain, going through the Gate, meeting Sha're, joining the SGC, his travels through the Stargate, his kidnapping and captivity--everything.

He didn't have long to reflect on this. In the next moment, he was being hugged by everyone. General Hammond, Janet, Jack, Sam, and Teal'c were alternately hugging and crushing him.

"How did you guys find me?" he gasped, fighting for air after all those hugs.

"Your journal," Sam explained. "Those sketches. Someone saw Christy and called us."

"I'll have to thank whoever it was."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure he knows you're grateful," Jack said, watching Chief Camden edge away from the reunion. The poor guy looked like someone with shell-shock. The arrival of the Air Force and national security issues en masse seemed to have been a bit much for him.

"Listen, we have to go to Pater's house," Daniel said as Jack draped a jacket around his shoulders and Sam handed him a pair of sneakers to put on. He hid his annoyance as Janet started to look him over. This was important, and he didn't have time for a medical exam.

"Why?" Jack deadpanned.

Daniel stared at him. "_Why?_ Well, he is keeping people brainwashed and prisoner. There's that to start with. Besides, Carlisle asked me to make sure the police knew about Pater and he's hoping they could help him and everyone else find their families. We can't leave them there."

"I was _joking,_ Daniel," Jack said, giving Daniel a one-armed hug. "Of course we're going to help them out. You can go join that pilot in that chopper over there. We'll handle it from here."

"I know you guys are feeling protective right now, especially considering you just got me back, but I feel I have to go, too," Daniel said stubbornly.

Jack turned to Hammond. "General."

"I'm not inclined to forbid Dr. Jackson going, but then again, I don't think I can. He's a civilian, after all."

"You're not supposed to remind him of that, sir," Jack said quickly before turning to the only other authority he could bring to bear on Daniel. "Doc?" Even the Marines respected Janet Frasier and more than one man seemed afraid of her.

"I agree with the colonel," Janet said. "However, I think it would be beneficial for you mentally if you're able to give yourself some kind of closure on this."

"You're supposed to be on my side, Doc," Jack hissed.

"I'm on Daniel's side for the time being. When it's your health in concern, then I'll be on yours."

"All right, folks," Jack said, sighing. "To Oz."

They piled into a van, and Daniel was handed a zat by Teal'c, who said, "Just in case." Daniel thanked him, and settled back to wait while the driver in the front of the van followed his directions to the house. They were halfway there when Jack spotted a plume of dark smoke rising, and he ordered the drivers in the convoy to hurry up. They pulled up to the house in time to see it ablaze and the front doors open. People came pouring out, coughing and choking, begrimed by smoke. Daniel looked over them quickly and was able to verify for Jack that everyone was there.

SFs handled the arrests so quickly that Daniel had to admire their efficiency, but the only person giving them any real trouble was Pater. Six men were fighting to subdue him, and Daniel rushed forward.

"Back away from him!" he shouted, holding up the zat.

"Daniel!" Jack said, suddenly worried that his friend was about to do something that he would hate himself for later.

The SFs backed away, Daniel fired the zat, and Pater dropped like a stone. To Jack's great relief, Daniel put the zat away. "That felt good."

"I'm sure it did," Jack said as the SFs began to hustle people into the vans.

"Daniel!" they heard, and a woman pulled away from the SF holding her. "How could you shoot Pater?!"

"He's just knocked out," Daniel assured her. "Get in the van, Sylvia."

Sam looked at the woman. "Isn't that Christy? I recognize her from your drawing."

"Her real name's Sylvia. She was a plant, and I was stupid enough to fall for her."

"Don't worry about it," Jack said quickly. "Let's close this place off and get out of here." He looked up at the flaming walls. "Well, what's left of it."

"There won't be much," Daniel said. "Especially once the garage is hit."

Jack put two and two together so quickly he could have been a wunderkind. "Let's get outta here! Jeez, Danny, why didn't you say so before?"

It took only two minutes and twenty-four seconds for everyone to get in the vans and pull out. The fire department arrived, were advised about the garage, and then left to do what they did best. In their van, the members of SG-1 sat together, but it wasn't until they were in the chopper and heading home that Daniel relaxed. He stretched out in his seat, slumped in the harness, and let himself go to sleep. SG-1, General Hammond, and Janet Frasier made sure the chopper stayed as quiet as it could be by shushing anyone who made a noise. They did not have to do it often since _everyone_ liked Dr. Jackson. That was a good thing, and more than once during the ride SG-1 could be caught sneaking glances at their newly-rescued archeologist.


	14. Chapter 14

General Hammond left his office, crept across the debriefing room, and into the hall, heading for the elevator. He was taking a well-deserved break from all of the wrangling he'd had to do for the other kidnapping victims, and he knew just where he'd like to spend his little bit of free time.

Their arrival back at the base had been a nightmare. Most of the victims had been hysterical in some way, Pater had still been unconscious, and Dr. Jackson had been dead to the world. That was when General Hammond became very glad that he had Dr. Janet Frasier on his team. She marshaled the infirmary staff, gave orders, calmed the hysteria, and managed to ensure a medical exam, guest quarters, fresh pajamas, and a hot meal for each of the victims.

She'd beat him to the punch of his job, and for once, he was grateful. All he'd had to do was see to Pater's lock-up, and he'd received a call that subsequent medical tests had proven that Pater was only half human. What his other half could be was beyond the resources of the infirmary at present, but Dr. Frasier had assured him that she would keep working on it.

He reached the infirmary, deeply thankful for the lack of noise, and slipped inside, looking around. The lights were dim; staff worked quietly at their tasks, and in one bed lay Dr. Jackson. In a chair on either side of the bed were Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter. Both of them were slumped over in sleep, Daniel's hands in theirs, their heads resting on the bed not far from Daniel's. Teal'c was sitting on the floor at the foot of the bed, meditating.

George felt a smile starting. When he'd been given his first command, his CO had told him that those he commanded could come to be like his kids, and a much older (and hopefully wiser) General Hammond reflected that that statement was very, very true. The sight of the four members of SG-1 curled up together like that, sleeping, was so unbearably heartwarming that he was hard-put to stifle a sigh.

"I know," Janet whispered from behind him, making him jump. "If Daniel shifts in his sleep, they move so he is still comfortable. If he mutters and seems about to wake up, the colonel tightens the grip on his hand. Once I saw him pat Daniel's shoulder to quiet him. Daniel calmed down after that. Those four are so in synch it's scary."

"But awfully cute," Hammond said, grinning. "You're under orders of silence about that remark, Doctor."

"Don't worry, sir, I don't think they'd believe it anyway. Did you know the nurses keep sneaking in here with cameras?"

"For what?"

One nurse came out of the shadows, holding a camera and smiling. "Because they're _adorable_," she gushed, taking a picture. "Seeing Dr. Jackson asleep is always sweet, but this is ten times better."

"At ease, lieutenant."

"Sorry, sir," she said, unrepentant as she headed out of the infirmary and back to her work.

Hammond watched her go. "How many nurses have been in here with cameras?"

"I think the good lieutenant there was the last who hadn't taken a picture yet," Janet said, surprising him. She looked over at the sleeping quartet. "You know, I'm torn between letting them sleep some more or waking them up for a meal. Daniel's lost seventeen pounds while he's been gone."

Hammond felt his eyebrows shoot up. Dr. Jackson was a fit man at an ideal weight for his frame, and to lose that much weight could mean problems for his health and for going offworld. "Didn't they ever feed him?"

"Well, blood tests say he's well-nourished, but he _is_ underweight. In stressful situations like kidnapping it's normal for the body to react to the stress and for a person to lose weight."

Hammond nodded. "What can we expect?"

"I spoke to Dr. Mackenzie about that," Dr. Frasier assured him. "He said the physical problems caused by the kidnapping will be fatigue or trouble sleeping as well as weight loss. Sometimes some individuals will develop complaints of pain or nausea, but these will be reactions to stress. What we need to do the most for Daniel is to make sure he has plenty to eat and plenty of rest."

"You mentioned the physical problems; what can we expect mentally?"

Janet led him into her office. "Typical reaction to trauma, at first. In this case, the trauma may have been compounded somehow by that dopamine drug and the brainwashing that Daniel described in his journal. He may begin to doubt himself and think Pater is right after all."

There was no other word for it; the general's eyes _bugged_. "Why?"

"Daniel's been with Pater for several months and he's been under constant strain. Now that he's no longer constrained by location and the need to resist, he'll start thinking about what he's gone through and what Pater said to him. It's natural for a trauma victim to think about what happened and to try to process it. According to the descriptions I read in the journal Daniel kept, Pater was always logical. Not always entirely forthcoming in what he said, but he was logical. He said enough true things and left enough unsaid to leave behind a large amount of doubt."

"That covers the brainwashing," Hammond said thoughtfully. "What can we expect from the dopamine substance?"

"That stuff is dangerous," Janet said, sinking into a chair. "From what I can tell, it's effective just from proximity to the source. Initial tests on Pater have shown that his body produces it on its own. It's in his exhalations and secreted through his skin. Just being near Pater can expose someone to it, but Daniel mentioned Pater's insistence on being able to touch him in his journal. My suspicion is that touching someone delivers a higher or more concentrated dose. The substance itself goes straight to the "reward" pathways in the brain. Like the colonel said, it makes you feel pretty good, and his remarks on Pavlov were not far from the mark. From what we've seen today from the other victims, a sudden shock like the one they've undergone and removal from the source can produce symptoms of hysteria. Their brains and bodies have been feeling pretty good for a while, so the transition may have been a little much. I think the severity of the hysteria depends on exposure time and the concentration of the doses each person's been receiving."

"How long do you think it will be before the effects wear off?"

She shook her head. "Hard to say, sir. Tests have shown that our bodies eventually get rid of it, either through the excretory system, respiration, or by secreting through the skin. Breathing and skin take it in, and breathing and skin—and other ways—can get it out. It can get through anywhere, thank goodness. From what tests have shown, the chemical becomes inert after passing through a human body. The measures to remove it from the bodies of the victims that I've taken so far include plenty of soup, water, and juices for the victims. Daniel also had plenty to drink before he went to sleep."

"Good work, Doctor."

Janet looked past him into the infirmary and smiled. "Looks like Daniel's awake, sir."

Hammond practically scooted out the door and Janet followed.

"Hi, General," Daniel said quietly, catching sight of them both. "Hey, Janet."

"Hey," Janet said, grinning. "How do you feel?"

Daniel looked at his company and smiled. "Cozy. Cozy and surrounded, actually. Um, I can't get them to let go of my hands, and I kind of need to get up."

It took a bit of prying fingers away on their part, but Janet and the general managed to get the slumbering colonel and major to let go so Daniel could slip out of bed and into the nearest bathroom. He came back after a few minutes and settled back into bed, and the movement of the mattress woke his friends up.

"Hey, Danny," Jack said, sitting up and smoothing his mussed up hair. "Sleep well?"

"For the first time in ages, yes," Daniel affirmed, sounding infinitely glad to be back in the base. "Where is everybody?"

"They're keeping away from the infirmary on orders so you can sleep," Sam teased. "Do you mean the staff, or your fellow kidnapees?"

"My fellow prisoners," Daniel joked. "Where are they? Are they okay? Have their families been found yet?"

"We have half the staff working on finding their families," General Hammond promised. "So far, all of them have had something to eat and are asleep."

"And Pater?"

Teal'c got to his feet and smiled. "He is in confinement, Daniel Jackson. It is good to see you awake."

"It's good to see you, too, Teal'c. It's great to see all of you. It's great to be back."

The sound of a stomach growling surprised everyone into helpless laughter. Even Teal'c chuckled. When he could breathe, Daniel wiped his eyes and sat up. "I guess I'd better have something to eat," he said, thankfully accepting the tissue Jack handed him so he could mop up his face. He'd laughed so hard that he'd practically cried!

"I'll order you guys something," Janet said, heading for the nearest phone.

"Great!" Jack enthused, punching a fist in the air. "Picnic in the infirmary!"

Daniel laughed, allowing them all to see the man they knew so well.

--

Pater paced his cell, wondering how long it would be before someone came to talk to him. That was how humans behaved when they held someone. They would confine a person, make him wait a while, and then they would come to question him. So far, the only people he'd seen in this place had been the doctor, her medical staff, and the security staff that came into his cell to guard him while she performed tests. He was certain that they knew he wasn't fully human, and the tests were to help them figure out what he was. He sighed, wishing them luck with that. He was unlike anything they'd ever seen before.

Breathing deeply and taking in as much air as he could, Pater searched for the scents of his children. None of them were in rooms close to him, and they were not on this level. What scents he could discern were all scents that told him they were sleeping. They were calm and at rest. The ones closest to him were Carlisle, Mark, Sylvia, and Daniel.

He thought of Sylvia and Daniel. From the moment she'd seen Daniel's picture, he'd been able to tell that Sylvia found him enticing. Attractive, and what she wanted in a mate. The scents swirling around them both during the few times they'd been together had been enough to tell him that Daniel had found her just as enticing, which was why his refusal of her had been so perplexing.

Now that Pater thought about Daniel, he found the man alone extremely perplexing. He didn't behave in a way that he'd come to expect after twenty years with his other children. He was half-human, they were all human, so he felt that he had a pretty good grasp of how humans thought and behaved. There was no doubt in Pater's mind that Daniel was human, but he was lost for an explanation for Daniel's behavior. It was as if something drove Daniel that did not drive other people. Whatever that was, it was a formidable force. It had kept Daniel firmly anchored in himself and his psyche, and even when Pater had locked his memories away, Daniel had still had the ability to break away and escape. Unless he'd had help to remember things on his own, he should have been too frightened and confused to take such initiative. Any other person would have been too afraid to leave the only place where people knew him or her. His children had tried to leave before, that was true, but they never tried leaving after he'd locked their memories.

The whole situation was confusing. Even more confusing and worrying was the fact that Daniel seemed able to fight the chemical that he'd used to subdue the others. After a few days he should have welcomed the physical contact that gave him a higher dose of the substance, but he found such contact repugnant instead. Why? He'd been through Daniel's files several times but he failed to find the cause of his aversion to parental caresses. His other children had craved them, relished them, and seemed to thrive on them. Why had Daniel been so different?

Pater decided to think about this later and sat down, taking deep breaths. There was one thing he could do to influence how long he was locked up, and he was going to do it. Any human here was susceptible, thank goodness. Perhaps Daniel would be as well, since he was no longer fighting to free himself. Perhaps—just perhaps—Pater would be able to influence Daniel as well.

--

Daniel was stuffed to the gills and was using a laptop to write up his final report about his kidnapping for the general. He was about halfway through it when what he was writing made him stop and read it again. He scrolled back and read it again, and to his shock, he felt tears streaming down his face. A loud crash a second later brought Janet out of her office and the rest of SG-1 away from their discussion to stare at the broken computer lying on the floor at the base of the wall. Daniel was sitting on his bed, pale, shaking, and looking ready to break down.

"You know, I asked every day to be let go," Daniel said, drawing his knees up to his chin and resting his forehead on them. "Every day. He always said…always said that I didn't need to go. I was right where I should be."

Jack, Sam, Janet, and Teal'c gathered around the bed, offering silent support.

"He said I should have been glad," Daniel continued, choking a little on his tears. "Glad to have been brought into the Family. Glad to have been adopted. Glad to have been kidnapped." Daniel flopped back onto his pillows and sighed, accepting the tissue that Jack handed him. "Thanks. You know, for a while, I asked myself why I was fighting him. I felt kind of good when he was around. Physically, I mean. I always felt…I don't know, comfortable, I suppose, when I had to be in the same room with him. Mentally, I was a wreck, but physically, I felt good. How could I have two different feelings like that from the same person? Maybe my body was trying to tell me that being where I was was actually a good thing."

"First of all, knowing the way you think, I can say that makes sense," Jack said, putting a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "Second of all, let me remind you that we work at the SGC. We come up against weird stuff all the time. Pater definitely qualifies as weird."

Daniel looked at him before accepting another tissue. "What do you mean? I know he's weird—he weirded me out on a daily basis—but how can you guys know that?"

"What the colonel's referring to is the fact that Pater is not quite human," Janet said, patting Daniel's back in a gesture of comfort. "He's half human and half…something else. We don't know what he is, yet, but we're working on it. His body secretes a dopamine-like chemical that goes straight to the body's reward centers. Mere proximity is enough to affect anyone, and I think that Pater's insistence on touching you was so that he could give you a higher dose through the skin."

"You see? He qualifies," Jack insisted.

Teal'c smiled, catching Jack's playful mood. "Am I also weird, O'Neill?"

"No, you're unique," Jack told him. "You're Teal'c, and you're part of what makes SG-1 so overwhelmingly cool. Pater's just…weird."

"So the physical good feeling was just that chemical?" Daniel asked to make certain.

"Ya sure, you betcha," Jack said. "Tell him, doc."

"Your heightened state of stress probably kept you from…well, heightened good feelings, but the physical comfort was definitely from this chemical."

Daniel nodded. "Thanks. I guess I needed to hear this." He cast a guilty glance at the debris on the floor.

Sam looked at the laptop's remains and reflected that bad feelings had to get out somehow. "Don't worry. Things will be okay, Daniel."

Daniel looked thoughtful. "You said proximity was enough to make that drug work?"

"That's right," Janet affirmed.

"Would having Pater on the base count as proximity? What if he can do other things? Like Hathor's mind-control drug?"

Janet's eyes widened as she ran for the phone. "DAMMIT!"


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 14

Medical tests of all the staff in the immediate area revealed that there were traces of the dopamine chemical in their bodies, but it was there in amounts that could barely make any sort of difference.

"I wonder if he can control how much of that stuff he puts out?" Jack asked as he received another blood test. "Maybe we could make him stop."

"You are not usually so optimistic, O'Neill," Teal'c said, smiling as his exam finished.

"Yeah, well, I'm still a little slap-happy due to the fact that we have Daniel back," Jack retorted, looking over to where Daniel lay curled up in bed. "That could be it."

"Most likely. I will see you later, O'Neill. Tell Daniel Jackson I shall return."

"What I'm wondering," Janet said as Teal'c left and as she fixed a band-aid onto the colonel's arm, "is what he hopes to accomplish?"

"You mean Pater?" Jack asked, hopping down from the gurney. "No idea. If that stuff isn't enough in anyone's system to do any good, then why is he bothering to put it out?"

Daniel shifted under his covers, rolled over, and sighed.

"We should take this discussion into my office," Janet said quietly. "We don't want to wake him."

"How about you guys take pity on a hungry man instead?" Daniel's voice said as he opened bleary eyes. "Believe it or not, but I'm starving. Could you guys dial the commissary for me?"

Jack didn't have to be asked twice as he ran for the phone. "Any requests?"

"He's still on a light diet, Colonel," Janet broke in.

"Aw, come on, Doc," Jack said, dialing. "Daniel, how does a pizza sound with some kind of chocolate something for dessert?"

Daniel grinned and sat up. "Who do I have to bribe?"

"_No_," Janet said firmly. "Colonel, I forbid you!"

"Doc, the man says he's hungry. Ergo, we should feed him."

"We'll feed him _appropriately_," she countered. "It would do no good to stuff him with something that his body isn't ready to handle yet."

"Oh, trust me, I'm ready for anything," Daniel said. "C'mon, Janet, let me eat."

"_I'll_ order something, and don't worry, you'll like it," she insisted. "I'm not about to let you make yourself sick to your stomach."

"Party pooper."

"You can take him off base for greasy pizza and beer once he's better, sir," Janet said, dialing the phone. "Until then, I'm ordering meals."

Jack muttered something that sounded like "Napoleonic powermonger" but Janet ignored him. She ordered Daniel's food and gave him yet another check-up while they waited for it to arrive.

"What did you order?" Daniel asked as she used an otoscope on his ears.

"You'll like it," she assured him. "Don't worry."

"I know the food here's always good, I'm just getting a little tired of soup."

She laughed and pulled out her stethoscope. "Don't worry. It's not soup, but the way it's prepared, it falls under 'light diet'."

"I hope so," Daniel said quietly. "Any idea why I'm so tired all the time? I mean, all I've been doing since I got back is sleeping and eating. I sleep for a few hours, I wake up, and I eat. You'd think eighteen hours' worth of sleep and eating my own weight in food would be enough."

"It's a reaction to extreme mental stress," Janet said, jotting something down in Daniel's file. "You had trouble getting sufficient rest and you've lost weight, so your body is now trying to replace what it lost. After a couple of days, you'll be fine."

"What about Pater?"

Daniel didn't need to explain what he meant. "So far, no one seems to have enough of that dopamine chemical in their systems to do any good. It's such a negligible amount that I don't think it's actually having any influence."

"Can it accumulate?" Daniel asked. "Build up over time so that there'll be enough to actually do something?"

"Not really," Janet explained. "Once it enters someone's system, it's processed and ejected from the body just like any other drug. Sort of like taking small doses of medicine all the time, really. I don't know what Pater hopes to accomplish, but he's not doing much."

"I wish we could send him somewhere else," Daniel confessed as Janet finished her examination. "I don't like having him here."

"None of us do," Janet agreed. "However, General Hammond doesn't want to send him to Area 51 just yet. He's worried about what will happen if we do."

Unspoken were the General's fears that Pater could somehow influence the people at Area 51 more than he could the people at the SGC and gain access to the technology at that base. That would be…bad. Very, very bad.

"How's everyone else?" Daniel asked. "Carlisle and everyone?"

"They're slowly calming down," Janet admitted. "Even Sylvia. All of them are eating and sleeping a lot, just like you, but they spend a bit more time awake. Carlisle spends most of his time catching up with everything he's missed by reading every book in the library and snagging every newspaper and magazine he sees."

Daniel laughed just as the door opened. "Poor guy. Could I see him later?"

"Of course."

"Doc?"

Janet turned to look at Jack. "Yes, colonel?"

Jack had left at some point, apparently to pick up Daniel's food and bring it up, and he was smiling. "You rock, Doc."

On the tray was a plate full of slices of apparently _healthy_ chicken and mushroom pizza, and there was a bowl of chocolate pudding for dessert.

Janet grinned. "I have my moments," she said. "Enjoy, Daniel."

Daniel scooped up a slice and took a bite. "I don't need to be told twice. Mmm."

Jack laughed at the blissful expression on his friend's face. "Good?"

"Oh, yeah," Daniel agreed. "The commissary's outdone itself this time."

"Wait until you're released from the infirmary," Jack promised.

"Just make sure you don't make yourself sick," Janet cautioned.

"Yes, Mom," Daniel teased.

--

Pater sat in his cell, concentrating. Daniel should fall asleep soon after he'd eaten, and then his mind would be a bit more open than it was now. That was what he needed.

He was half human, but he was also half 'something else,' as Dr. Frasier had put it. They didn't know what to call him, but he was certain that they'd never seen anything like him before. He was human, but he was also Ashah.

The Ashah were unique when compared to other life forms in the known universe. They had no need of ships or Gates to travel, their minds could hold all the memories of their race as well as any race they came in contact with, even if those races did not have genetic memory. They could heal, induce sleep, or influence emotions with only proximity or, more efficiently, with a touch. They could 'read' the gene structure of an individual as easily as they could tell whether that person was tall or short. They could communicate directly with the minds of races who shared similar brain structures (which pretty much included all races in this galaxy). Such communication happened even on a subcellular level through the use of chemicals that were generated in their bodies and passed to the bodies of others. They could even control the minds and memories of those races, locking memories away and planting suggestions so that those individuals would do what was wanted of them.

Yes, he was Ashah as well as human. His people had told him that he'd been born with a purpose--he was going to serve as a link between humanity and the Ashah, to make sure that the Tau'ri could fulfill all of the potential that the Ashah saw for them.

Humans fascinated the Ashah and they had fascinated them for as long as they had known about them. They were capable of producing wonders as well as horrors, of giving comfort and inflicting pain, of providing life and causing death. Such contradictions were nothing short of amazing for the Ashah. Most races were bent toward one way of life, one form of thought, and one view of the universe. The Tau'ri had countless views, thoughts, and ways of living. How had that happened? Most other races adhered to a single way of life even in disparate environments, but that was not the case for humans on Earth or any other planet. Even before the Goa'uld's arrival on Earth such distinctions existed on Tau'ri. Where had they come from?

At his birth, his purpose had already been determined. He was the result of an experiment to see if a human-Ashah hybrid could be created. According to his caretakers, he had exceeded all their wildest dreams. He was the best of both races: he had all of the Ashah abilities as well as the human psyche. He looked human and understood them instinctively, but his sensibilities and loyalties were Ashah.

Compared to an Ashah youngling, he'd matured quickly: a mere twenty Earth years passed before he could use all of his abilities. He'd spent those twenty years learning about the Ashah as well as the various worlds of Tau'ri scattered about the galaxy. Each world gave him a different perspective on the human species, and then came the knowledge of the original Tau'ri world. How excited the Ashah had been! Tau'ri from the original world were advanced enough to build complicated cities and explore space. Surely that meant that they were ready for the next stage of the future the Ashah wanted for them.

The Ashah sent him to Earth with specific instructions. He was to gather the best and the brightest humans with specific gene patterns and bond them to him. Each 'child' he adopted into the Family possessed those needed gene patterns, and he had only two or three more to find before returning to the Ashah with his charges. The assignment was not without its advantages. Ashah delighted in giving affection to others and they were very tactile, and he was no exception. Humans thrived on affectionate relationships and being touched by others was generally a positive experience for most of them. Such an assignment gave him the chance to demonstrate affection to those he selected. Those selected humans would live on Ashah, fulfilling all of the Tau'ri potential by either accepting the changes the Ashah wished to perform or giving life to another generation that would be the fruition of all the Ashah hopes and desires.

That was why he'd been so happy to locate Daniel. From what he'd seen of Daniel and what he'd sensed in the man's mind, then he was just one short step away from that fruition that the Ashah wished for so longingly. He was highly intelligent, healthy, his mind was very strong, and his sense of self was firm. He was also capable of siring healthy offspring with all of his most desirable traits, both physical and mental. Once on Ashah, if he agreed to the changes they wished to make and then sired children--!

The potential and possiblities were endless.

Pater felt his mind shiver and realized that Daniel was now asleep. Smiling, he pulled his consciousness in and then pushed out, searching for Daniel's mind.

--

Daniel's dream ended abruptly, but he didn't wake up, so he wondered what was going on. It wasn't normal to be awake and still feel asleep like this. How he knew he was sleeping and awake at the same time was beyond him, but he knew something wasn't right.

"Hello, Daniel," he heard as arms went around him from behind. "It's good to see you."

Daniel tried to jerk away, recognizing the voice and the presence that held him. "Let go! Let go, Pater!"

"Oh, no," Pater said quietly. "I'm not about to let go of you, child. If I want to hold you, then I'll hold you, and there's very little you can do about it. While we're here, there's nothing you can do against my will."

"But this is MY mind!" Daniel protested. "What are you DOING here?"

Pater chuckled. "You continue to surprise me, Daniel. Most people would not realize that they were fully conscious and in their own minds. Instead, they would think this all a dream."

"I don't want strangers in my head," Daniel persisted. "And I don't want you touching me. Let go."

"No," Pater said, lifting Daniel and cradling him in his arms. "You see? I am the one making the rules here. If you listen to me, then I'll let you go and allow you to go back to sleep."

"Listen to you about what?" Daniel demanded, trying to twist out of Pater's arms. "I'm taller than you are, how the heck can you lift me off the floor?"

"These are our mental bodies, Daniel, not our physical ones. There's a difference. Now, will you listen, or will I have to force you?"

"What do you want to say?" Daniel asked after Pater's last two words.

"I'm here to make you an offer," Pater said, giving to Daniel in an instant the information that would have taken about an hour to say. In that moment Daniel understood everything about the Ashah and their plans for all of Pater's 'children.' In the next moment came the knowledge that Daniel could _choose_ what would happen to him _if_ he went to Ashah willingly. If he did not, then he would have no choice in any matter.

"I'm not a guinea pig or a lab rat or anything to be experimented on!" Daniel growled once he understood what Pater told him. "The answer is no. You're not taking me or anyone else anywhere!"

Pater chuckled and hugged him closer for a second. "So determined! Daniel, there's nothing you can do to keep this from happening. It won't be long before I've found everyone I need to find, and then we'll all be off to Ashah. I can promise you you'll like it. The planet is beautiful, you'll have plenty of work to do since we have a long history and many archeological sites, and all of your needs will be seen to. All that will be required of you will be to make yourself available to the physicians and to sire children when the time comes. You won't be unhappy, Daniel."

Pater seemed to think he was painting a rosy and comfortable future, but Daniel recoiled from those images in shock and disgust. He'd be nothing more than a superior pet to the Ashah! He couldn't let this happen!

"You'll be glad it did," Pater assured him as he caught Daniel's thought. "I've already given them information about you, and they ensure me that Sylvia is the perfect mate for you. Your relationship with her will be fulfilling, and the children you two will create will be wonderful. You'll see, child. Our Daniel, you'll see."

"NO!" Daniel screamed, using all the force of his mind to push Pater away.

Suddenly, his eyes were open, and he was sitting up in his bed in the infirmary. He saw Janet running toward him, concerned.

"Daniel? What's wrong? Why'd you scream?"

"Pater," Daniel gasped, fighting against a tightness in his chest and a very sick feeling in his stomach. "He was in my head. He told me about what he's planning. Keeping him locked up won't do anything."

Arms went around him, but they were Sam and Jack's arms, and he sank into them. "Easy, Danny," he heard Jack saying. "Deep breath, now. Tell us about it."

Taking a deep breath, Daniel told them everything.

--

Pater lay on the floor of his cell, breathing slowly and with his head aching abominably. He was also very, very impressed. Daniel should not have been able to push him out of his mind like he had, but he did it with no problem. It seemed as if he was closer to his potential than anyone had realized. Slowly getting to his feet, Pater put the next part of his plan into action.


	16. Chapter 16

The Ashah heard the call of their child from across the expanses of space. They had told him to call for help in the event of trouble, and as he told them frantically of all that had taken place, they realized that the situation he was in now qualified. Convening a hasty council, the Ashah determined that they needed to take the situation into their own hands. Gathering together, they calmed their thoughts and directed them toward Earth.

--

"So what you're saying is that these...aliens...had us imprisoned with Pater while he gathered everyone he was supposed to gather so he could take us all to another planet and start....breeding us?" Carlisle asked in the shocked silence that had followed Daniel's explanation.

"Basically, yes," Daniel affirmed. "That's the gist of the matter. Pater tried to convince me that they would do everything they could to make us happy on Ashah, but I think any measure they took would be like putting a bandaid on an amputated limb."

"Nice image," Mark muttered. "What can we do? I mean, if they can do all the things you described, then there doesn't seem to be any way of stopping it."

"We're in one of the most secure facilities on Earth," Daniel reminded him as the rest of SG-1 came in. "We have allies off-world who would not like to have a friendly planet or its inhabitants messed with. Even if the Ashah manage to make their way inside here, rescue would not be far behind." Given what he knew of the Ashah, he knew he was whistling in the dark, but one could hope that things would work out well.

"Um...what about space?" Greg wanted to know, rubbing the spot between his eyebrows. "It takes a long time for people to travel through it, doesn't it?"

"Not the way we travel," Jack said. "Trust me. Even if we can't use our usual mode of transportation, we have other methods and friends who'd be happy to help us out. Especially since Daniel's mixed up in this. Our allies are pretty fond of him, and they would extend the same protection to you since you're all his friends."

Daniel didn't correct Jack on the exact relationship he had with some of his former fellow-prisoners. "Right. Now all we have to do is keep our eyes open. If you guys notice anything strange at all, let your handlers know."

More than one person grimaced at the reminder of the security detail they'd been assigned, but had accepted after learning that such a measure was standard for most visitors to the base.

"Have you received any information about us? Our families and our lives before Pater?" Carl asked. The big man had been greatly changed since he'd shaken off Pater's influence, and Daniel was grateful for it.

"We're still working on it," Sam admitted. "It's like a lot of information about you has just...disappeared...but it can't stay hidden forever. We'll find your names and your families soon."

"I wouldn't put it past Pater to have done some erasing after snagging us," Phillip growled. "When I think of how many years I spent following his orders and thinking of him as my father, only to have it all be a lie..."

He didn't have to finish. Everyone knew what he was thinking.

"I miss it," someone said quietly.

Phillip's head whipped around. "WHAT?"

"I said, I miss it," the same voice said more strongly. Sylvia rose from her chair and stared at Phillip, tears moving down her face. "I miss being in a family. I miss knowing the fact that I had a father and brothers and sisters. I miss feeling safe, and I miss feeling loved, and I want to go home!"

"Sylvie, I don't think you've grasped that what's happened is a _good_ thing," Phillip said, speaking slowly. "Now you can reclaim your life. You can find your _real_ family and your _real_ home instead of living the lie that Pater built for us."

"If it was a lie, then I _liked_ the lie!" Sylvia snapped, getting to her feet and stomping out of the room. Her security detail followed her, just two steps behind.

"I think we should schedule some more sessions with Mackenzie for that girl," Jack murmured to Daniel. "She's starting to worry me. Everyone else has accepted what happened."

"I'll look into it," Daniel promised. "I'm worried, too. She's...vulnerable. She'd be easy for someone to get to."

Neither man had to say who it was they were thinking of.

--

Sylvia entered her quarters and threw herself onto the bed, fighting tears. She missed Pater, she missed being near him, and she missed her life before Daniel's friends had come sweeping in to turn everything upside down. What right had they had to do that? Pater hadn't been doing any harm--he'd only wanted the best for his children! Couldn't they see that?

"Sylvia?"

Sylvia looked up from the pillow she'd buried her face in and gasped. "Pater?

He smiled as she launched herself into his arms. "Hello, child."

"Pater!" she said, hugging him. "How did you get here?"

"I can do a lot of things, as Daniel has no doubt already told you. I have good news, daughter."

She smiled, still hugging him. "Are we going home?"

"Yes," he said as she smiled in delight. "We're going to a home where no one can take you children away from the ones who love you. We are going to Ashah."

"When?" she asked. "Soon?"

"Quite soon," Pater promised. "In fact, we're going now."

--

Daniel sent a guard for Sylvia since Walter had come in with bulging file folders. After hours in front of his computer, he'd managed to put together dossiers on everyone. He'd found quite a bit of information, and Daniel felt Sylvia had a right to know about herself. Perhaps confronting the truth about herself would help her to accept what had happened. In the room all around him people were eagerly reading their files and either jumping up and down in joy or breaking into tears. Daniel felt as if his smile was about to crack his face open when Carlisle flew at him to give him a hug and then dance around him.

"Look at this!" he shouted. "I've got a wife and three kids waiting on me! Two sons and a daughter! I'm a father! I'm a DAD, Daniel!"

"Congratulations," Daniel said, fighting down a chuckle. "What are their names?"

"My wife's name is Laura, and my kids' names are Stephen, Benjamin, and Kristen! In my file my name is Carlisle Danning! I've got a last name. I've got my life back!"

"Wait until he sees his family," Jack whispered to Daniel. "He'll be so excited he'll pass out. I'd like to see that."

Daniel smiled at Jack's joke, feeling that it was a bit unfair for him to have his life and his family back while everyone else had to wait.

He was in the middle of listening to Carl describe his family when a very odd sensation came over him. All of a sudden he couldn't move or speak, but he could still see and hear. It went quiet in the room as people stood up and began looking about, confused.

"What's...that?" Phillip asked, just before his body went rigid.

After that, Daniel couldn't see anything as warmth built about his body from the floor up. What felt like arms closed around him, and they lifted him, held him close, and carried him away.

--

"Thank you," Pater said fervently as soon as they arrived at their destination. "I was in real trouble there."

"It is all right," one of the Ashah assured him. "You did very well, Pater. You gathered almost all of your targets, and we only needed two more. We located those on Earth while we were there and we brought them along. Your trouble has had no bearing on the final outcome."

"I'm glad," Pater said earnestly. "I'm very glad."

The Ashah led the way to what they had begun to call the "nursery." It was a space they'd made for the Tau'ri--a calm, restful living space where they could live and learn together. After all, relationships were very important to human beings. They were a social species as much as the Ashah were, and living with others helped them to thrive. This space would help foster positive relationships, especially among potential mates.

The only actual doors in the space was the entrance door, which was in place to keep them from wandering out and getting lost, and the door that led to the garden. Inside, there was a central living area where they could relax and take meals together, two sleeping rooms (one for males and one for females) that would be in use until they established their relationships, a study filled with learning and work materials, and a large washroom that was the height of Ashah luxury. Their charges would be well cared for, they were certain of that. Until they paired off, the Tau'ri would live in close quarters, and once they chose mates, each couple would be given their own quarters within the compound.

Pater followed the Ashah, looking around the rooms as he did so. He felt comforted by the familiar Ashah architecture and decoration, and he felt any tension he had drain away as he entered the males' bedroom. The whole room was geared toward rest: blue walls, soft carpet, indirect light, and fluffy, futon-like beds that just invited the weary person to sink into them and forget the waking world. Those beds were shortly to be occupied, once the medical staff finished examining the newly-arrived Tau'ri.

As if the thought acted like a summons, the medical staff arrived, each one of them carrying a patient. Each Tau'ri had been dressed in loose, comfortable Ashah clothing and each man was still asleep. One by one they were settled in their beds and the lighting dimmed, strengthening the whole feeling of rest that pervaded the room.

"How long will they sleep?" Pater whispered to one of the Ashah.

"For a while yet. Which is the one called Daniel?"

Pater pointed. "Him."

The one Ashah--Pater remembered his name was Ara and had asked for the privilege of being on the team that worked with the Tau'ri--approached Daniel and bent over the sleeping man. In sleep, Daniel's facial muscles had relaxed, making him look much younger than his years. Ara reached out a cautious hand and trailed his fingers across Daniel's forehead, smiling at what he sensed. "He is dreaming. Pleasant dreams. He feels safe."

"Safe because of what he's dreaming or because of where his physical body is?" one of the other Ashah asked.

"What he's dreaming. He is dreaming of a place called Abydos and of his wife, Sha're."

"He won't like that you looked into his mind," Pater cautioned him. "He's a very private man."

"He will come to welcome our presence, Pater. Surely you know that."

"Yes, but he is difficult."

Ara smiled again. "I understand. We'll see how we get on together when he wakes. I'm looking forward to working with him."

Pater smiled. Daniel would benefit from having Ara around. He had no physical features that set him apart from the other Ashah but he had a quiet, contemplative nature that was very comforting to be near. He was quieter than most of the other Ashah, and only the oldest Ashah exuded that same quality. Ara was fortunate to have it without the benefit of extreme years.

"Let's allow them to sleep, and let's make a plan to follow when they wake," someone else said.

The Ashah filed out of the room with Pater following. He knew they would need him to give them details about each of their charges.

--

"--the hell are we?"

"No idea. Where are all the girls?"

"Somewhere else probably."

"Think this is Ashah?"

"If it's Ashah, then where are all the little green men?"

"I don't think we wanna know. I hope we get out of here without seeing one."

"Well, I want to see one. I want to see one and throttle it and demand to know where it gets off kidnapping us like this."

"What if they abhor violence, like Spock?"

"My friend, you watch way too much TV."

Daniel wanted to roll over and tell the people chattering to shut up, but that would entail moving from his oh-so-comfortable position, and he wasn't eager to do that. He was cozy, comfy, and oh, so tired. He didn't want to move for the next decade.

"Daniel?" A hand reached out and shook his shoulder. "Daniel, we need your expert opinion...or...something."

The shake of his shoulder woke him up the rest of the way, and the conversation he'd heard suddenly made frightening sense. His eyes popped open and he sat up, taking in the whole room at a glance. "Damn!"

"That's what I thought you'd say," Carlisle said, a wan smile covering his face. "Think this is Ashah?"

"No doubt of it," Daniel confirmed, noticing the odd lines of the room. Definitely alien architecture. "How long have you guys been awake?"

"Only long enough to start arguing a bit," Carlisle admitted, causing Carl and Phillip to grin. "Any ideas on how we get out of here?"

"Not yet," Daniel confessed.

"Daniel?"

"Yeah, Mark?"

"Why the heck did they take our clothes?"

Daniel examined the outfit he was wearing. "Probably to reinforce the fact that this is... a new stage in our lives, I suppose. Also to reinforce our dependency on them."

"Dependency?" Mark said, raising an eyebrow.

"Pater tried to do the same thing with me," Daniel explained. "He wanted to make me dependent on him, and I guess as long as we're here, we're dependent on the Ashah for even the clothes we wear. I know we'll be dependent on them for our meals. Perhaps they want to start this out with our total dependence and then they'll let us slowly build up independence over time."

"What's all this dependence/independence stuff? I don't get it."

Daniel looked at Carl thoughtfully before answering. "I guess they're trying to simulate a child's condition for us. Children are dependent on adults, and that dependence serves to build a bond between adult and child."

"I knew it was a plot."

"What can we do to keep them from...what would we call that? Brainwashing us?" Carlisle wanted to know.

"For the time being, go with the flow," Daniel advised after thinking about it for a moment. "Any active measures of resistance would probably lead to stronger measures, and we might not be able to hold out against them. We know what Pater can do, but we have no way of knowing if the Ashah have stronger abilities or abilities just like his."

"Daniel?"

All the men looked up to see Caro standing in the doorway.

"I heard your voice and it woke me up," she explained. "Everyone else is still in there asleep. Do you want me to wake them up and bring them in here so we can all make a game plan?"

"That might be best," Daniel said. "Thanks, Caro."

Once the women had been woken up and brought in, the men relayed all that they'd discussed so far. Two new women and two new men had to have the whole situation explained to them and then brought up to speed with their current circumstances. All four of them looked as if they were certain they were dreaming and would wake up any time now.

"Any suggestions for the game plan?" Daniel finished.

"Why do we need a game plan?" Sylvia asked. "I'm actually kind of happy to be here."

Incredulous looks met her eyes.

"Well, I am," she said firmly. "Pater's here. He and the Ashah care about us. They're going to be our family."

"What a colorful world you live in, Sylvie," Greg muttered.

Daniel made a mental note to never tell Sylvia anything of his thoughts. "I think for the time being that we just stay quiet and wait," he said. "I'm sure the SGC is already trying to find us."

"I hope so," Carl said. "This place makes me feel nervous."

"I hope we can do something to change that."

The being that stood in the doorway had enough human features to make him seem familiar and enough of the alien to make him frightening. He was very, very tall with white hair, silver eyes, and pale skin. He smiled at all of them, radiating warmth that did nothing to reassure them. "Welcome to Ashah," he said, holding out his hands as if he were presenting a prize. "I am Ara, and I shall be one of the six Ashah who will be working with you."

"Hello," Daniel said, beginning a cautious meet'n'greet. "I'm Daniel."

Ara nodded. "We know your names. Pater told us. Now, I am certain you are all hungry, and Pater is anxious to see you again. Come with me, please."

One of the new men--Devon--leaned in close to whisper to Daniel. "Do we go with him?"

"I think we don't have any choice in the matter."

"Damn."

They followed Ara out into the next room, which was a large sitting area filled with islands made out of cushions. Ara quickly directed five humans to each of the Ashah and surprise, surprise, Daniel found himself in Ara's group. The group also contained Sylvia, much to his discomfort. Pater wandered about all the groups, greeting his "children."

"I hope you're hungry," Ara said, opening up a box that was emitting very tempting smells. "These are very good."

"These" were little handheld pies with some kind of berry filling. Because their stomachs were empty the humans ate, but it was a very tense meal.

"I understand why you're frightened," Ara said after a few minutes of examining their expressions. "We won't hurt you."

"The possibility of being hurt is not uppermost in our minds right now," Daniel said. "No, we're still thinking about the fact that you're...practically breeding us."

"Nonsense," Ara said, chuckling. "More?"

Daniel ignored the offer of another pie. "What would you call it?"

Ara held the pie box out to Sylvia, who accepted another pie. "You're acting as if this whole situation is some sort of animal husbandry thing," Ara said. "It's not like that at all. You won't be forced to take a mate we choose for you, and you'll decide how many offspring you have. Beings that are bred have no choices in such a matter."

_Breeding with choices, _Daniel thought. _Aren't we the lucky ones?_

"We are going to try our best to make you happy," Ara assured all of them. "You'll want for nothing, you'll be in a supportive environment, and you'll have interesting work to do here with people like you. You can choose whatever you'd like to do."

Daniel looked as if he'd had a sudden inspiration. "I think I know what I'd like to do."

Ara kept himself from looking into Daniel's mind to see what it was. "Yes."

"I'd like to go home."

_You were right, Pater,_ Ara thought. _He _is _difficult._


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 16

Once Jack and the rest of SG-1 realized that Daniel and his fellow Pater victims had disappeared, curse words flew at high-speed velocities all over the room. Carter reached for the phone to inform the general, and they went up to his office to report in person. Apparently, no one saw or heard anything unusual at the time of the disappearance, and the security cameras had gotten nothing out of the ordinary. Viewing the tape of the disappearance was enlightening only in the fact that in one frame of the tape they were all there, but in the next frame they were gone. The same thing had happened in Pater's cell, too. One second he was there, and the next second, he was gone.

"What are these things?" Jack asked, staring at the tape for the thousandth time since Daniel had disappeared. "How'd they do that?"

"I have never heard of these types of beings before," Teal'c said, sounding troubled. "Their abilities are…worrisome."

"Worrisome?" Jack said in disbelief. "They're scary as hell! We've gotta get some help with this."

"The Asgard?" Sam asked, turning to face the dialing computer.

"Yeah," Jack said, beginning to pace. "Your permission, General?"

"If you wish. Let's just hope to God that the Asgard can tell us something about these people."

"Hopefully they'll be real upset that somebody messed with their favorite archeologist."

--

Jack had gone and returned from the K'Tau Hall of Wisdom, leaving a message that Daniel and several Tau'ri had been kidnapped by a group of beings that were unlike anything they'd ever seen before and would their good friends the Asgard have any information that could help? The Asgard had promised they would contact the Tau'ri once they had something to report.

"So in short, they said, 'Don't call us; we'll call you,'" Jack sighed, reporting for his post-off-world physical. "I showed them the tapes, told them everything Daniel had told us, and showed them Daniel's journal of his time spent with Pater. All I got were a lot of blank looks and they wouldn't give me a definite answer on whether they knew what the Ashah were or not. I mentioned the name and that got no reaction at all."

"Well, hopefully they'll know these beings by another name and they'll be able to tell us something," Carter suggested.

"Hopefully," Jack agreed, still perched on the bed and enduring the tender mercies of Janet Frasier. "Are we almost done, Doc?"

"We would have been done sooner if you would sit still," she said testily, examining his visual tracking.

"Yeah, well," Jack began, but a flash of white light startled him so much that the fell off the bed. Thor stood there, a trace of amusement in his eyes at Jack's sudden fall. "Thor! Buddy!"

"Greetings, O'Neill," Thor said. "Are you all right?"

"I'm great, now that you're here. Have you got info for us? About the Ashah?"

Thor looked away from Jack. "I am sorry, O'Neill. We have been able to find nothing in our archives about the Ashah."

Stunned silence met this announcement. "What?" Jack said, shock clearly showing on his face. "You've got nothing? _Nothing_?"

"Unfortunately, that is the case," Thor said, sounding extremely regretful. "There is no mention of any encounter with them in our history, nor is there any trace of them in our old stories or annals of our encounters with other races. There is not even an account of another race we know of meeting them. They are completely new to us, O'Neill. That is…worrisome."

Idly in some corner of his brain Jack wondered if Thor were channeling Teal'c.

"How could they stay away from your notice all this time if they're so advanced?" Sam wondered.

"You said in your explanation, O'Neill, that Daniel Jackson had told you they did not use ships or Stargates to travel?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"Then that is probably why we have not learned of them before this," Thor said. "We always keep track of those races that have space travel or access to the Stargate system. Since they use neither, then there would be very little possibility for us to notice them. Our home galaxy and your galaxy are very big places."

"Yes, they are," Jack said, thinking of all the astronomy books he'd read.

"I can ask other members of the Fleet to keep their eyes open, but beyond that, I can promise nothing, O'Neill. We have no idea of where to look for Daniel Jackson."

"Thanks, Thor. If we learn anything about the Ashah, we'll give you a copy of the information for your records."

Thor nodded. "Our thanks, O'Neill. It is my hope that the Asgard and the Tau'ri searching together may locate Dr. Jackson as soon as can be."

"Ditto, buddy."

Thor disappeared, and everyone turned to look at Jack and the general.

"Well," Hammond said, sighing. "We've got an archeologist out there to find, people. Let's start looking."

---

Daniel lay where he'd been placed and let his eyes close. How long had it been? A few days? A week? Longer? It certainly felt like longer, perhaps a few months instead of days? He couldn't be sure anymore.

He'd tried—God knew he'd tried—to keep track of how many days they'd been there. The problem was that it was impossible to do. There was a pattern to their days, oh, yes, but there were times when he could not be sure which day it was. He couldn't say that such and such a meal had been breakfast since they'd eaten scrambled eggs and toast; all meals had practically the same foods. There was nothing to set one meal off from the other, so he couldn't use meals to mark time.

Daylight was unreliable, too. It didn't seem to change except at night, which was when it went away. However, there seemed to be a period of dark in the middle of the day, so that messed with his sense of time as well. Was there a true night and a false night here? Were there several periods of dark before there was an actual night? Was each period of light counted as a day? He had no way of knowing, and none of the Ashah would tell him.

Counting cycles of waking and sleeping didn't help. When he slept, he had no idea how long he'd slept, and sometimes he just had to have a nap during the day. When he woke up, the light outside would be different, and he couldn't tell if he'd slept through the night or just for a few hours. Given the fact that he required frequent naps and could do nothing to forestall them, his sense of time was well and truly screwed up.

The days—such as they were—had a pattern, but it was not etched in stone. Every morning they were woken up by their handlers. In Daniel's case, it was Ara. Ara would give them fresh clothing (pants and shirt, no shoes) and lead them into the common room, where they would sit on the cushions and have breakfast (or whatever meal it was time for). After breakfast, they would head into the study, and each group of five humans with one Ashah would gather around a table for whatever lesson the Ashah individual cared to teach. Each lesson, it seemed, was about Ashah. There was a lot of reading, geography, and history with a sprinkling of ecology, zoology, and botany thrown in.

The Ashah (Daniel could never figure out if the plural form of the word was the same as the singular, but it seemed so) were teaching them all about the planet so they would feel at home. Daniel often considered telling them that their time would be wasted, but he didn't have the energy for any kind of argument. He barely had enough energy to get through a day…or whatever.

After lessons they were checked over by Ashah physicians, who ran odd instruments over their bodies and recorded the readings, telling the handlers that their charges were in perfect health. After their check-ups they spent some time outside in the garden. It was a pleasant place with soft grass underfoot, lots of flowers, and several little pools and waterfalls. There were cushions under shelters to sit on, or one could sprawl on the grass. There was plenty of space for exercise but very few people ever wanted to run around. Sometimes one of the Ashah would get a game going, but such games were short-lived as people preferred resting to running around.

Lunch would be held inside on the cushions or outside on the grass and after lunch came the time when everyone was required to rest. They could rest out in the garden, inside in the common room, or in the bedrooms, but they had to be lying down. Invariably, everyone fell asleep. Sometimes the pattern would begin all over again, but other times it would seem to continue. After their rest the Ashah would insist on either their having a wash or spending time with them one on one. After one on one time came supper (or whatever it was) and bed. The washroom was a large room with three tubs big enough for a person to swim in, and often the Ashah would take a hot soak with their charges. It was like a Japanese bath house: everyone would take a quick scrub under a showerhead first, wrap towels around their bodies, and then sink into the very hot water in the tubs. When the Ashah did not join them in a bath, Pater did, and he would talk to them about the Ashah and what they were like as a people. Daniel took mental notes on what Pater told them: the Ashah were a social and tactile species, they had a very light nudity taboo (Daniel had realized this from his own observation the first time they had a hot soak with Ara, but the Ashah man had quickly donned a towel when he realized his human charges were uncomfortable), and they considered it their duty to help other races reach what the Ashah felt to be their mental and physical potential.

None of this boded well for the humans.

One on one time consisted of what the Ashah felt to be mental and spiritual "nourishing." Based on what Daniel observed of the Ashah's actions, the mental and spiritual parts of a person were one and the same, and such a part of a person needed "food" of a certain type. That food was usually physical demonstrations of affection from other beings. The one on one time that the Ashah gave their human charges was usually passed in being massaged or even held and cuddled by their handler. So far, Daniel had resisted any attempts to be massaged or cuddled by Ara, but today he had no more fight left in him. Ara had simply walked over, plucked him off his cushion in the garden, and carried him into the washroom. Ara had removed Daniel's shirt, stretched him out on a couch that was used for massage, and Daniel had given in and allowed his eyes to close. He didn't try to fight or protest; he was far too tired for that.

He momentarily forgot his fatigue as he felt hands on his back that began to gently knead his muscles. "You are tired, Daniel."

He didn't answer. He knew that Ara could read his mind.

"Yes, we can, but we try not to. You are used to having your mind as a private place. However, you're not giving me much choice in the matter, are you? Have you decided not to speak to me?"

"Talking won't do anything," Daniel said as Ara's hands traveled up and down his back in soothing strokes. "You're determined to keep us here. You hear our thoughts before we process them. You know what we're going to do before we do it. You put out the same chemical that Pater does, and that makes us compliant and foggy-headed. I don't feel like I can fight you anymore."

Ara's hands stopped for a moment as he spread something warm and scented on Daniel's back. "Why do you see it as a battle, Daniel? We've planned a marvelous future for you. It's a gift, Daniel, one that we're eager to give you. Why are you so eager to refuse?"

Daniel gave a weak chuckle. "Self-determination is a concept that's very important to us," he said. "We like to make our own decisions, even if they aren't good for us. However, in the present situation, I think that our decision not to trust you is the right decision to make. You try to make this whole thing seem like a grand favor: you've brought us here so we can live up to the potential you see for us. What you're not willing to admit is that you kidnapped us, you are holding us against our wills, you intend to perform medical procedures on us without giving us a choice, and you wish us to have children that will fit _your_ desired specifications. No matter how you try to get us to believe otherwise, that's the truth of the matter. Pater told me all about what you were planning, and even though you haven't mentioned your specific plans, I know what you want to do. This life you've planned for us is not a gift; it's a prison sentence."

Ara stopped, amazed at Daniel's perception. The Ashah all knew that their human charges were intelligent, even brilliant, but Daniel seemed to be able to perceive things that were hidden from most.

"It's not as bad as you're making it out to be, Daniel," Ara insisted, massaging Daniel's neck. "It really isn't. You don't know what's best for you. We do. We live centuries at a time, Daniel, and we've seen countless humans either reach all the potential they're capable of or we've seen them fail. We've made a study of humans, you could say. Every change in you is major news for us, just as significant events on your planet are major news for you."

In some corner of his brain, Daniel wondered if Ara had ever watched TV.

"Through our study of humans, we've learned how you reach your full potential. At the current stage of your evolution, your people are only a few short steps away from reaching all the potential they can reach. If you allow us to perform the procedures we wish, then your children will fulfill that potential. We aren't going to force you to do anything against your will, Daniel."

Daniel thought about what he'd said, and he heard Ara's shocked gasp a moment later.

"That's why you shouldn't snoop in other people's heads," Daniel chuckled. "You'll hear something you won't like."

"We wouldn't do anything like that! We would never create a child using your genetic material without your permission!"

"It would save you a lot of trouble," Daniel pointed out. "You wouldn't have to convince us to do what you want us to, and you'd have what you wanted."

"But it wouldn't be what you wanted!"

Daniel gave a short bark of a laugh and sat up. While he'd been lying there, strangely, his mind had begun to clear and he'd been able to actually think. "Since when have you considered that?" He shifted off the table, grabbed his shirt, and pulled it on. "None of us wanted to be kidnapped by Pater and made to forget our lives. None of us wanted you to kidnap us and bring us here. Finally, none of us want to do what you want of us. You've never thought about what we wanted, have you?"

"Sometimes what you want and what is best for you isn't the same thing," Ara persisted. "And what are you doing? We're not finished yet."

"We are," Daniel snapped, turning on his heel and heading out the door.

He didn't get far. Being so much taller than humans meant the Ashah had long legs that enabled them to move fast. Daniel felt Ara approach him and he felt arms around him, lifting him and pulling him close to Ara's chest.

"Oh, for heaven's sake," Daniel muttered as Ara carried him over to a bench and sat down. "Put me down." His few moments of clarity were beginning to descend into foggy-headedness again, and he didn't like it.

"Children need to be held, Daniel. Even adults need to be held."

"I'm not a child, and even though adults need to be held, I don't want _you _to do it," he insisted. "Let go."

"You know, Pater told me all about you. He says you crave touch from others daily, yet you hate to be touched most of the time. Now, why is that?"

Daniel knew what Ara was trying to do and he fought the memories down as soon as Ara said the word 'why.' He screamed inside his head and flooded his mind with as many images of random things as he could, and he felt some small measure of gratification when Ara winced.

"When you try to block me, try not to shout," Ara advised. "That hurt, Daniel."

"Good," Daniel muttered, still keeping the parade of images going in his mind. If Ara had been talking with Pater about him, then it was probable that Ara already knew about Hathor, but he wasn't going to get any details about the encounter out of him. Not even Mackenzie knew everything that had happened. There were some things he could not bring himself to talk about, but the coping mechanisms Mackenzie had taught him helped him to cope and sometimes even forget. However, being touched by someone he didn't trust…that touch brought those things back sometimes. He did _not_ want Ara to know that.

"I'm only trying to help you," Ara said firmly, keeping his arms around him. "Relax, won't you?"

"No," Daniel said, trying to wiggle free. Abruptly, his body relaxed and a feeling of calm came over him. He remembered everything Pater had told him about what the Ashah could do and realized that Ara was influencing his emotions. "Stop that!"

"Don't you feel better?" Ara asked, surprised. "I just want to help you feel better."

"I'll feel better the moment you put me down."

"Well, you'll have to wait a bit," Ara told him. "I want you to listen to what I have to tell you."

Daniel wondered what it would be like to tap dance on Ara's head.

"Very funny," Ara muttered. "Will you listen now?"

"I suppose I don't have a choice."

"Finally, he listens," Ara said, repositioning Daniel against his chest. "Now, what I have to tell you is important. You've been feeling rather upset with us since you got here, but we want you to know that we didn't bring you here to make you miserable. We brought you here because we cared about you and wanted to see you reach your full potential. Now, Pater had told you that if you came to us willingly we would give you a choice in what happened to you, but you didn't come of your own volition, did you?"

"Who would?" Daniel wanted to know. He could hear Ara's heart beating, and the sound of it was so oddly soothing that he felt more than a little sleepy.

"Well, we've decided to give you the choice anyway," Ara continued. "That's how much we care. We're putting your right to decide ahead of what we want."

"I'm not going to give you a prize for being so accommodating," Daniel said. "If you really cared about what I wanted, you would let me go home."

Ara smoothed his hair and Daniel felt so sleepy that he closed his eyes. As he did so, he fought off the feeling that he was in a trap that he couldn't fight and couldn't escape.

"This isn't a trap, Daniel, this is my expression of affection for you," Ara said quietly. "How can we let all of you go? You are like our children. We couldn't allow our children go to a place where they would be unhappy. I think that you weren't really happy on Earth. Why else would you wish to travel through the Stargate? Why else did you settle on Abydos? No, you are happier somewhere other than Earth, and we intend to help you be happy here. We are your family now, and families take care of their children."

"I'm not your child," Daniel said, fighting off the tidal wave of sleepiness that was overcoming him. "I won't be. I refuse."

"It's okay for you to feel that way, Daniel, but that won't change anything," Ara said, rubbing Daniel's back as if trying to encourage the sleepiness. "When you wake up, you'll feel better. I promise."

As Daniel slipped into sleep, he wondered what Ara had meant.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 17

Ara knelt by Daniel's bed and looked down at the sleeping man. He was a puzzle many times over that was nowhere near solution. To begin with, there was his refusal of his fundamental need for touch. He denied any attempt to be touched by any of the Ashah (who loved to touch others and would be delighted to give him as much 'cuddling' as he wanted) and he only rarely allowed one of the other humans to touch him. Still, within him there was a yearning for touch and affection. Why did he deny it so adamantly?

Linked to that was his refusal to consider a relationship with Sylvia. He found her just as attractive as she found him and there were times when Ara could tell that Daniel ached to hold her and show his love for her. Why did he never allow himself to do so? He rarely spoke to Sylvia, and the few words he did say were short and to the point at all times. From hearing his thoughts, Ara knew for certain that Daniel longed to discuss history and half a dozen other things with her as much as he wanted to show his affection. He missed talking with her about several things. Why, then, did he not do what he wished?

Even more perplexing was his ability to fight against them mentally. A mental whisper of a suggestion from Ara met with a deafening mental 'scream' from Daniel that usually made not only Ara but every other Ashah wince in pain. Where he'd learned to defend his mind in so…painful…a fashion was information that Ara could not locate within Daniel's mind or memories. He had to be very, very circumspect when searching Daniel's mind, or there would be yet another scream and a resulting headache for the Ashah. Pater did not have mental defenses that were as strong as everyone else's, and Daniel's screams often left him in silent agony for quite a bit of time.

As far as Ara could tell, Daniel's formidable defenses had to come from his unusual background. He'd traveled to other planets for years now, and he'd come into contact with quite a few races. More than one of them could have been telepathic. Now, they could have taught him his defense tactics or he could have learned them by instinct when they tried to forcibly read his mind. Also, he'd been Ascended at one time, so he might have learned the techniques during that period. All of this was speculation and guess work, but it was all he had to go on for the time being.

What he was about to do now was dangerous—oh, not for Daniel, but for him. People with fundamental telepathic abilities, i.e., the ability to tell when someone was in his or her mind and to defend that mind from being 'read' or to expel another person from that mind could often do more damage than they knew to others when they sought to defend themselves. Daniel could very well lash out and end up hurting him, but Ara felt certain that this was worth the risk. He was going to read Daniel's mind through dream suggestions that he, Ara, was going to 'plant.' Daniel could either believe he was dreaming and go along with each 'plant,' or he could realize that someone was in his head and try to defend it. When someone slept, his telepathic abilities heightened their strength in order to protect the sleeping individual, and if the sleeping individual felt threatened, then the strength of his defense could be very dangerous for the person he or she was fighting against.

This was very, very dangerous given the strength of Daniel's fledgling abilities. Still, the Ashah had to find a way 'in' with Daniel. This was the only way anyone could think to do it. Ara took a deep breath, pulled his 'self' in and then pushed _out_—

And--

_AND--_

He was there.

He was able to see and hear everything, but hopefully, Daniel would not realize he was there if he remained 'silent' and did nothing to draw attention to himself.

This place was a place that Daniel had been several times. It was a small structure by a lake in the middle of a woodland area. Daniel was sitting on a chair on a wooden dock staring out over the water, and his body language said that he was hurting. Ara longed to reach out with a mental 'hand' and smooth the 'hurt' away from Daniel's mind, but doing so would alert Daniel to his presence. He stayed still, watching and listening.

A man exited the structure and approached the dock, carrying a blue box with a white lid in his hands. He sat down in a chair beside Daniel, opened the box, and offered him a bottle of some type of beverage. Daniel accepted it with a nod of thanks, removed the cover, and took a deep swallow.

The other man sat back in his chair, took a drink, and then turned to Daniel. "I know you didn't ask to come out here to enjoy the scenery, Daniel," he said. "You've hardly taken a thing in."

Daniel took another swallow of his drink. "I guess I just needed to get away for a while."

The man nodded. "I can understand that. You know, Mackenzie approached me before we left the base—"

"Jack," Daniel began, but Jack cut him off.

"Aht! Let me finish," Jack said, holding up a finger. "He said that you didn't tell him much about your latest experience. You hardly told him a thing, in fact. You just sat across from him and gave him one-syllable answers to most of his questions. Now, he agrees that he won't press you into having another session with him as long as you just _talk_ about it to somebody. He said that it would be a good idea if that person were me, and I agree with him. He also said that he won't clear you to go off-world again until you talk about it. I like having you on SG-1, so you'd better start talking sometime soon."

"This might take longer than just a weekend, Jack," Daniel said, swallowing some more of his drink. "It might take a lifetime."

"Well, I told the general that we wouldn't be coming back until you'd done some serious getting-stuff-off-your-chest work, so he'll understand if we're late by either a couple days or a couple months."

Daniel stared at Jack. "Months?"

"Maybe I exaggerated," Jack said, looking at Daniel as Daniel looked away, his expression closed. "Or maybe I didn't. You almost done with that beer?"

"Just finished it," Daniel admitted.

"Then have another," Jack said, holding one out to him. "Drink enough so you feel mellow enough to talk."

"I don't want to get drunk, and I really, truly, do not want to talk."

"You afraid of what you might say?"

"No, I'm afraid of what I might remember," Daniel said, taking another drink despite his declaration that he didn't want to be drunk. "I've tried very, very hard not to think about or remember what happened, and I don't want to start remembering now."

"I know what you mean," Jack said. "I went through something similar in Iraq and half-a-dozen other times, the latest of which was Ba'al. You were there with me the whole time I was under that rat bastard's thumb, and I'm sorry I couldn't have been with you while the Ashah had you, but take it from someone who knows, just as I'm sure you know, that you can't just pretend bad stuff didn't happen to you. Sooner or later, you have to come to terms with it."

Now Ara understood. Daniel's dream was one of wish-fulfillment, and he was dreaming that he'd somehow returned home and he was with someone he trusted and could confide in. Daniel did not feel he could trust or confide in anyone on Ashah, not even the other humans, so he was dreaming of someone he could trust. According to the strength of feeling infusing this dream, Jack was someone that Daniel trusted very much.

"If I promise I won't tell anyone anything you tell me, will you talk?" Jack offered.

"Won't you have to enter that stuff in your report so I can be cleared to go off-world?"

"I'll do a lot of paraphrasing and editing. They'll get the basic gist of what you told me, but they won't know any specifics, details, or anything you won't want me to include."

Daniel looked at Jack for a few moments before nodding. "Okay. But you'll have to be patient. This is going to be hard."

"That's why I have a full cooler of beer and snacks right here," Jack said, tapping the blue box. "Take your time."

Daniel looked up at the sky for a moment and then looked down at his hands. "I think the worst part was that there were times when I liked being there. I felt good. I felt safe and protected. I know it was that dopamine chemical they put out all the time, but it still had the same effect on me even though I knew what it was. I enjoyed the feelings that chemical gave me. It was like I would never be in danger or be hurt again."

Jack waited while Daniel took a few deep breaths.

"Even though I had those feelings, I knew I was in danger and I knew I was being hurt. Invaded. They kept going inside my mind, and I didn't want them to. They knew I didn't want them to, but they still did it. You know the really sick part? They kept claiming they did it because they cared about me. They wanted me to reach a damned potential they saw for me. They kept trying to go into my head to get me to see things their way and to…build a bond with me, I suppose. It got worse and worse each time, and I felt more and more…violated, I guess. I had to fight like a madman to keep things from them. Each time I fought I hurt, but I couldn't just let them look through my head the way we'd look through a photo album."

Ara had had no idea that Daniel's defenses hurt him as well. This was…intriguing, but also disturbing.

"Sounds like they were doing an equivalent of mental rape," Jack said, handing Daniel a snack. "Eat that before you fall on your nose."

"There's no such thing," Daniel said, nibbling at what Jack had handed him.

"Don't fool yourself into thinking that," Jack said sternly. "Just because humans can't do it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. In the line of work we're in, we should know that by now."

Daniel was quiet, seeming to think while Jack watched him.

"What else about that situation bothered you? I know it bothered you because you were taken there against your will and they messed about with your head, but something else bothers you, doesn't it?"

"Do I have to answer that question?"

"Is it what I'm thinking?"

An image of a red-haired woman in a fantastic costume appeared in front of Daniel, and he looked at it while Jack did not seem aware of its presence.

"I know she's dead, and I don't know why what happened _still_ bothers me after all these years, but…well, you know. It does bother me sometimes."

"Danny, you wouldn't be human and sane if it didn't bug you," Jack reassured him. "Trust me. Am I right in thinking that something about your time on Ashah reminded you of that?"

Daniel nodded. "Hit the nail on the head. Sometimes, that chemical made me feel the way Hathor's drugs made me feel. And you know they wanted us for breeding. There were times when my body was screaming at me to take what they offered, but on the inside my mind was screaming to get away as fast as I could before I was hurt. I had the same battle going on inside me when Hathor…forced me."

"And when she hurt you," Jack finished.

Daniel looked at Jack. "How did you know that? I never said…"

"I read Carter's report about the situation," Jack told him. "In it, she stated that you were catatonic when they found you, and it was clear what had happened to you. A person can go catatonic due to physical and mental pain that's too severe to handle. During our down time immediately following that situation, after your first session with Mackezie, we went to my place and you spent most of the evening either being catatonic or crying. A person only does that when he's been badly hurt in some way. Besides, it was clear from what you told me that you were afraid of being hurt. How would you know that doing what they wanted you to would hurt if a similar situation hadn't hurt before?"

"You should have been a detective," Daniel said as the image of the woman faded. "You're right, of course."

"Just call me Sherlock Holmes," Jack said.

"They wouldn't return us home," Daniel said bleakly. "They kept trying to get me to see the situation the way they wanted me to. They kept touching me."

Another image appeared in front of Daniel. It was of that woman forcing caresses and intimacy on him and Daniel fighting and begging her to let him go. At the same time there was an image of _Ara_ plying Daniel with caresses he didn't want.

No wonder he didn't want to be touched.

"I didn't want them to, but they kept doing it, and no matter what I did, I couldn't get them to _stop_," Daniel blurted, his shoulders shaking. "They wouldn't stop, and each time they touched me I wanted to do what they wanted me to do. I wanted to do _everything_ they wanted, even though I knew it was wrong. If I'd given in, it would have been no different from being forced."

"Yet you fought against them and you stuck it out until we could find you and bring you home," Jack pointed out. "You hung in there. You stayed true to what you felt was right, and that's far, far more than anyone had any right to expect in those circumstances. You were under the influence of something you couldn't keep from influencing you, but you did it."

Daniel shrugged. "Still, I wanted to give in. That's just as bad."

"I don't see it that way. I think you were a lot stronger than if you'd just been resisting. To hold out and resist even though you wanted to give in is a lot, lot tougher. Trust me."

Daniel took another beer and drank, and after a few swallows he stopped and looked at the bottle speculatively. "I'm surprised I'm still conscious. Usually this many beers send me off to sleep."

"Well, enjoy consciousness a while longer and take a break. Aside from consciousness and soul-searching, what do you want to do this weekend?"

"I want to take a look at those transcripts from the text on that device we were studying just before Pater grabbed me."

Jack stared at him. "Danny? Danny, you didn't by any chance bring _work_ with you, did you?"

"I've missed work," Daniel said as an image of the device in question formed in front of him. "I still thought about that device while I was gone. I can't believe that that device was the only artifact we found on that planet. Nothing but rocks and trees."

"And trees and rocks," Jack added.

Both men looked at each other and grinned. "And waterrrrr…." they sang in unison before starting to laugh.

"You'd think we'd have found some sign of civilization on that planet when we found that device," Daniel said, gasping for air and sounding as if he were relieved at the change in topic.

"A sign of civilization? Like a 7-11?"

Daniel laughed. "No! I mean ruins, old roads, other artifacts…you know, things like that. Why just the device and _nothing_ else?"

Ara examined the device. It was certainly like nothing he'd ever seen, and he'd seen quite a lot in his travels with the other Ashah. Perhaps it was some relic of an advanced race? It seemed possible.

_I volunteer._

Ara froze. It was Daniel's voice, but why was he hearing it outside of the dream? This sounded like it came from deep inside his mind, almost as if it had been locked away.

_Daniel!_

_No, Jack, this is the only choice we have,_ Daniel was saying. _I believe them when they say they won't hurt me._

_I don't like it, Daniel,_ a woman's voice said.

Briefly Ara wondered if Daniel were having more than one dream.

_Nor do I, Daniel Jackson._

_Well, this is the only way,_ Daniel said earnestly. _They won't let us go without one of us doing this, and I'm the logical choice._

_To hell with logic,_ Jack said. _How do we know this…reading…is what they say it is?_

_I guess we'll have to trust them,_ Daniel answered as the lake scene around Ara faded. _Look, you guys will be here right beside me while this is going on, and if it all goes bad you can get me out, but I don't think it will come to that. Call it a gut instinct._

_That's probably the MRE you had for lunch!_

By this point Ara's surroundings had taken on a pearly gray hue, and slowly, he could discern figures ahead of him. He could see Daniel, Jack, and the rest of SG-1. In front of them there was a low bed, and beyond the bed was the most beautiful being that Ara had ever seen.

He could not tell if the being was male or female, but then again, this being seemed to somehow transcend gender. It looked as if it were made of light while having a physical body and the expression on its face was something inscrutable and incomprehensible. It looked as if it were wearing a robe of some kind, or had it convinced the light itself to clothe it? What _was_ this being?

Now Ara could hear everything clearly.

"Look, we've already been told it won't take long. Two or three of our hours at the most," Daniel said, crouching down and untying his shoes.

"Yeah, and how do we know what'll happen in that two or three hours?" Jack wanted to know. "He could be mucking about with your head and we won't even know!"

"We'll just have to trust that won't happen," Daniel said, removing his jacket.

"Daniel, this is too big a risk to take and I'm talking about homeworld security!" Jack persisted. "I'm not going to let you do this!"

"Look at it this way," Daniel said, forestalling any further protests. "Have we been hurt at all? Forced to do _anything_? From their standpoint, we arrived on _their_ planet uninvited. For all they knew, we could have been advance scouts for an invasion, and they would have been perfectly within their rights to shoot us, but they haven't. All they've done is bring us here and listen to our story. Now, they want to verify what we said by doing this reading on one of us, and they won't allow us to leave until it's been done. I think it's worth the risk, guys, and it's the only choice we have."

"When faced with that kind of logic, O'Neill, it is difficult to see no reason why we should not allow Daniel Jackson to attempt this."

"Teal'c, would you let an alien muck about with your head?"

"Several have already done so, O'Neill."

"Yeah, but have they done so with your consent?"

Teal'c looked uncomfortable. "They have not."

"Exactly!" Jack said. "Daniel—"

"I've given my consent, Jack," Daniel said. "Please, trust me on this."

"Carter, will you tell Daniel this is a bonehead idea?"

"At the risk of being demoted, sir, I have to agree with Daniel."

"Why am I the only sane one here?" Jack wanted to know.

"You're only the most suspicious," a new voice said, causing the colonel to whirl around.

"Woah!" Jack said in surprise. "I actually forgot you could talk."

The being smiled, but his lips did not move as he spoke. "Your caution is respected, Colonel O'Neill, but you should trust Daniel to make his own choice."

"I don't need you to tell me that," Jack said. "Look, how about this? _I _do the reading, okay?"

"That's not a good idea, Jack," Daniel said. "You have security codes for the base, don't you? He could muck about with your head, steal them, and keep you from knowing he stole them."

"With all of the security considerations you must make, Daniel is the best choice," the being said. "I can promise you, Colonel O'Neill, that I will not harm him. Compared to us, you are like younglings, and I would not hurt a youngling."

"See?" Daniel said. "He won't hurt me."

Jack stared at Daniel. "You're not a youngling, Daniel."

"Allow me to differ with you on that, Colonel," the being said. "You are very, very young."

"You sound like the Nox," Jack muttered. "Okay. Against my better judgment I'll let you go through with this cockamamie plan, Daniel, but if anything goes wrong, you're never coming over for a barbecue again. Got me?"

"Got you, Jack."

The being nodded and lay down on the bed, holding out his arms. Daniel took a deep breath before laying down beside him and allowing him to wrap his arms around his body. As soon as the arms closed around Daniel's shoulders, Ara began to experience everything from Daniel's point of view and he found the whole experience extremely unsettling. The world around him faded to a light shade of blue and he felt his entire body relax.

_Oh, you are very young,_ he heard inside his head. _You're practically an infant!_

_I am not!_ Daniel managed to answer after a moment of shock. _I'm an adult!_

_Yes,_ the being agreed. _But you are very young. To have experienced so much in your short life…it's amazing. You've seen and done so much. Aren't you tired?_

_No, _Daniel admitted. _For me it's just normal life. This is all the reading is?_

_Not yet, _the being told him._ I was merely greeting you. I have your permission to begin?_

_You have,_ Daniel assented, and at that moment a flood of images rushed through Ara's head. He was experiencing everything that Daniel had ever seen and done and felt, all at once, and while the Ashah could sense all of a person's memories, they were nowhere near as intense as this. It was like he was _living _everything that Daniel had ever been through, good things and bad, and the pain was almost more than he could take.

Daniel re-experienced his pain just as Ara was experiencing it for the first time. He cried out in his mind during the painful times and laughed during the glad times. Gradually, the images and sensations slowed, leaving Ara gasping for breath and amazed once again at Daniel's resilience. The gentle blue surrounded them again, and slowly, Daniel and Ara relaxed.

_I hope I have not distressed you,_ the being said. _It was not my intent._

_That's all right, _Daniel said, enjoying the feeling of 'ease' around him. _I know you didn't mean it. Did you get what you needed?_

_That and more,_ the being assured him. _You are a wonderful person, Daniel. It was an unexpected pleasure to read you._

_Um...thank you?_ Ara could tell that the being sensed Daniel's confusion and was amused by it. _I've never had anyone say that to me before. That's a good thing, right?_

_A very good thing,_ the being said. _I shall inform the rest of my people that you must be allowed to return home, especially since more would come seeking you if you did not return. However, from what I've read of you, your people as a whole are not yet prepared for contact with our just yet._

_May I ask why that is? _Daniel asked.

The being didn't answer the question right away, but he seemed to be considering his answer. _Tell me, Daniel, would your people be able to handle knowledge of the Asgard without panic or fear?_

_Some people would accept them, but I guess I see your point. Some people would be frightened by the Asgard, and I don't know how they'd respond to you. You're as far beyond the Asgard as they are beyond humans._

_Our people will make contact with yours once they have accepted knowledge of the universe around them and the people that live in it,_ the being told him. _However, my people feel it would not be beneficial for your people to have any knowledge of us before then. Before we allow you to return to the Stargate, your conscious memories of us will be locked away. You, Daniel, will keep these memories in your subconscious until they are needed._

_What will we tell General Hammond that we've been doing all this time? _Daniel wanted to know. _He'll want samples and photographs and recordings and half-a-dozen other things!_

_That will be taken care of,_ the being promised. _My people are arranging it now._

Daniel nodded. _I see. How will my subconscious know when these memories are needed? What if I die before that happens?_

_You will not,_ the being said. _Your people will be ready before then. As for how your subconscious will know, it will know and it will allow you to retrieve the memories and attendant knowledge. Your subconscious will also relive these memories in dreams that you will not recall when you wake. Dreaming them will keep them strong, and dreaming them will be a comfort for you in times of stress. You feel safe here, do you not?_

_I didn't think I would, but I do, _Daniel admitted.

_You will have that feeling of safety again when you dream,_ the being assured him. _We will allow you to take an artifact with you that will act as a message to your people once the time is right for you to remember. Now,_ m_y people would like me to thank you by allowing you to experience some of your favorite memories again. You will remember them as a vivid dream. Would you like that?_

_I'd love it, but I'd have trouble choosing which memories to see again,_ Daniel said doubtfully.

_I can do that for you,_ the being told him. _Just relax._

Daniel relaxed and waited, and suddenly, he was a child again, in a tent in Egypt. He had a parent on either side of him, and they were telling him a story and holding him before tucking him into bed. Ara smiled as the wash of happy emotion coursed through him. No wonder Daniel objected to being held! He equated being held to being with his parents, and he did not want someone else to usurp that place.

The scene shifted as the child Daniel fell asleep, and the next scene was a wedding. The woman in front of Daniel was beautiful and smiling and Daniel was so happy he felt as if his heart would burst. The scene changed, but the woman was still there, wrapping her arms around him in the silence of a dark tent and pulling him close, saying, "My Danyel. My husband. I love you."

The last memory was the most recent, Ara could tell. It was a scene in back of a house on Earth. Daniel had just come through the front door in the house, his arms full of folders and he was saying, "Jack, I have no idea why this couldn't have waited until Monday."

"Trust me, I need those folders now," Jack called from the back yard. "I'm out here."

Daniel sighed and went through the sliding glass doors at the back, getting a shock when he saw the backyard was full of his closest friends from work. Jack, Teal'c, Sam, General Hammond, Janet Frasier, and her daughter Cassie were all there, cheering. There was cake and presents and ice cream, streamers and balloons, and a hot grill full of food.

"You didn't think we were going to let your birthday go by without a little celebration, did you, birthday boy?" Jack demanded, removing the folders from Daniel's arms and placing them on a bench. "Come on, you guest of honor, you, we're all starvin'!"

"How did you guys know it was my birthday?" Daniel asked as he allowed Jack to lead him to the head of the table.

"I read your file," Jack admitted, clapping a paper birthday hat on his friend's head. "Hot dog or burger?"

"Um..."

"One of each, then," Jack said, grinning. "Cassie, give me a hand, huh?"

Ara watched as the entire group celebrated Daniel's birthday with food, games, talk, and they shared memories. At last the candles on the cake were lighted as they sang "Happy Birthday" to Daniel, after which they encouraged him to blow them out and make a wish.

"I'll tell you my wish before I wish it so it'll still be valid after I blow out the candles," Daniel said. "I wish that we can have this much fun next year on my birthday." Then, Daniel blew out the candles amid the clapping and cheers of his friends.

Ara didn't see Daniel's memories of when he returned to Earth, but he did see memories of the device that Daniel thought was covered with a proto-Sintaic script. It was the clue and the message from these beings. These beings who had left a memory of themselves in Daniel's mind, one that Ara was staring at now.

The being looked at him. "You should not be here."

"Nor should you," Ara said as courageously as he could.

"Daniel invited me in," the being asserted. "You are here without his invitation."

"Tell me," Ara said quickly. "Are you the one who taught Daniel to defend his mind?"

The being actually smiled. "Yes. Daniel and those of the SGC have become precious to us and we have given them all the protection we are able to give, but we do not coerce them the way you do. My people do not like what you have been doing. Your people should return the Tau'ri home before we feel compelled to step in."

"You have no business 'stepping in,'" Ara stated. "We know what's best for the Tau'ri."

The being smiled again, a light, mocking smile. "You know nothing, child. Release Daniel and the Tau'ri. That is all the further warning you will have."

Instantly, Ara's eyes opened and he was back in his own mind, while Daniel still slept peacefully. For the first time in a very, very long time, one of the Ashah felt afraid of what he did not know.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 18

Author's Note—_This chapter is dedicated to my sister. Just because._

"How long's he been on the phone?" Jack asked, joining Carter in the debriefing room.

"I've been here ten minutes already, and he was on the phone before I came in. I can't hear what he's saying, but I have a feeling he's talking to someone about what's been going on."

"Oy," Jack said, flopping into a chair. "They're not happy, I take it?"

Sam glanced through the window into the general's office. "Well, he's got that look…"

"Great," Jack muttered. "Just great."

Teal'c joined them. "Is something the matter, O'Neill?"

"We'll know for certain once the general hangs up."

The general's voice suddenly rose enough to be heard clearly by the remaining members of his premiere team.

"I DON'T CARE WHAT COMPLAINTS YOU'RE GETTING OR WHO YOU'RE GETTING THEM FROM!" Hammond shouted. "THE ENTIRE COUNTRY SHOULD BE HERALDING THIS MAN AS A HERO, AND HE'S CERTAINLY OWED ALL THE AID WE CAN GIVE HIM FOR THE NUMBER OF TIMES HE'S PUT HIS LIFE ON THE LINE TO SAVE THIS PLANET, SO DON'T HAND ME THAT LINE ABOUT 'WASTING RESOURCES IN A FRUITLESS SEARCH,' UNDERSTOOD?! THE NEXT PERSON WHO COMPLAINS TO YOU ABOUT THIS, YOU GIVE THEM _MY_ NUMBER AND I'LL SET THEM STRAIGHT ON THE MATTER! I DON'T CARE IF IT'S THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF, YOU TELL THE NEXT COMPLAINER TO CALL _ME_!"

Hammond slammed down the phone, ran an annoyed hand over his face, turned toward the debriefing room, and headed out to meet with the rest of SG-1. "I don't doubt you heard the last of that phone call," he said, taking his accustomed seat at the head of the table. "Turns out there are quite a few people in Washington who feel that we are spending far too much time, effort, and resources looking for Dr. Jackson."

"It's only been three weeks, sir," Jack said. "We'll find Daniel."

"The caller was giving me strong suggestions to pull the plug and to get back to what he so intelligently referred to as our 'real work.'"

"Do you have that little weasel's name, sir?" Jack asked lightly.

"I do, but I won't share it with you, colonel," Hammond told him. "I know better."

"What I can't believe is that they see the search as a waste," Sam said, fiddling with a pad of paper in her irritation. "We're still exploring planets and meeting people while we're searching for Daniel. Don't they understand that?"

"And so far most of those people have been in societies where there's very little technology that we can trade for," Hammond pointed out. "That's their main complaint. Our standing orders are to gather technologies for defense."

"Do the people behind that phone call realize that we're also part of the Protected Planets?" Jack wanted to know. "If the Goa'uld launch an attack, the Asgard won't be happy, and the Goa'uld do _not_ want to piss off the Asgard."

"They claim that the treaty does not signify a great deal," Hammond sighed. "They still want defense technology brought home."

"We search for defense technology while one of the most knowledgeable people on the cultures and societies we encounter is being held off-world," Teal'c said, raising an eyebrow. "We now have a great disadvantage in securing those technologies."

"Trust me, I made that clear," Hammond told him. "The bad part is they don't want to hear it."

"I say we strike," Jack said. "Picket line!"

"This is the armed forces, colonel," Sam said. "We have to follow orders."

"We can protest bonehead orders, can't we?" Jack turned to the general. "Sir?"

What Hammond would have said remained a mystery, because just then a bright light illuminated the room.

"Hi, Thor!" Jack said, raising a hand in greeting. "Good to see you. What's new?"

"O'Neill, General Hammond, Teal'c, Major Carter," Thor said, nodding to each in turn. "It is good to see you, as well. We may have learned something that seems promising."

The attention of every person at that table was suddenly riveted on Thor's face.

"Don't leave us hanging," Jack said. "What have you learned?"

"One of our patrols encountered an anomaly that is unlike anything we have seen before, and as far as our physicists can determine, this anomaly is used for travel. Remnants of it are still detectable, and we are attempting to trace it to its source."

"If it has a source and is used for travel, what was its destination?" Sam asked.

"We believe the destination to be Earth," Thor said. "There have been indications that it was used to travel here and then used to go away again, but it was generated at its source. It is likely that once we find the source we will find who it was that traveled here without the use of ships or Gates."

Jack punched two fists in the air. "Yes!"

"Do not celebrate prematurely, O'Neill," Thor said. "We are still not certain that this anomaly was caused by the Ashah."

"It's the closest to a lead we've had in three weeks," Jack pointed out. "Let me be happy, huh?"

"Is there any way we can see this anomaly?" Sam asked. "You have recordings? Pictures?"

Thor nodded, once. "We can see it from my ship."

General Hammond reflected a moment later that someone would have to talk to the Asgard about the problems they could cause by just transporting a commanding officer to a ship in orbit above the office where he was supposed to be without a yea, nay, or maybe.

"I don't see anything," Jack said, staring out the window in front of them.

"That is because it is not made of matter that can be seen, O'Neill," Thor said, tweaking a few items on a nearby console. "At least, not entirely. You'll see in a moment."

A long, long ribbon of something light, swirly orange and yellow stretched off into the distance.

"What are we seeing?" General Hammond asked after a moment.

"As I said before, our physicists feel that it is something to do with travel," Thor said, gazing out the window himself. "It is like a wormhole, but is not like any wormhole created by the Gates or any that occur naturally."

"Occur _naturally_?" Sam gasped. "You mean you've seen naturally-occurring wormholes? Where? Were you able to get readings on them?"

"Back to the topic, Carter," Jack interrupted.

"But, sir…"

"I shall provide as much information as I can give you on natural wormholes at a later time, Major Carter," Thor promised.

"So, what's this thing made of?" Jack asked, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"As far as we can tell, it is energy somehow generated from the space-time surrounding it," Thor explained. "That should not be possible for anyone to do."

"And it works just like the wormholes created by the Stargates?" Teal'c asked as if to clarify.

"Not exactly," Thor said. "At least, we are uncertain. Travel time within the structure may take longer than the wormholes created by the Stargates, but not too much longer. Any traveler may have to…walk…within it in order to journey anywhere."

"That doesn't make sense," Carter said, confused. "Energy isn't a sidewalk!"

"Neither is my front lawn, but people still walk across it," Jack said. "I don't care if it doesn't make sense at the moment. If this thing leads us to Daniel, then it can masquerade as a sidewalk and make as little sense as it wants to."

A chime drew everyone's attention to the console as a communication came through. Thor answered the call, said a few things no one understood, and then turned toward the waiting Tau'ri just as the ship powered up and sped away along the ribbon of energy.

"What's going on?" Hammond demanded. Wasn't Thor supposed to transport them all back to Earth before he went haring off into the wild black yonder?

"The anomaly is showing signs of instability," Thor said, moving to the command chair. "If we are going to follow it, we must do so now. Hopefully we will be close enough to its source in order to locate it in the event it does break down and dissipate."

"Don't worry, sir, I'm sure Walter and everyone else at the SGC will be able to handle things for a while without you. They know what to do."

"Let's just hope the President doesn't call with complaints."

--

"I don't know, sir, they were all in there talking and then Thor was there saying he had something to show them, and then they weren't there!" Walter said, sounding a little frantic as the leaders of three separate SG teams confronted him about their missing CO.

"How long have they been gone?" one man asked.

"About ten minutes now!"

The phone rang and Walter dived for it, thankful for the interruption. "Control room. Uh-huh. Well, the general's not here right now. What's going on?" He listened for a few minutes and his eyes widened. "When you say everything, you mean _everything_? Really? Okay, I'll let someone know. Yeah, fill out a report and send it on up. Thanks." He hung up the phone and shook his head. "Can this day _get_ any weirder?"

"Who was that?" one of the other men asked.

"One of the armories," Walter said, jotting down the information from his phone call. "All the weapons and ammunition in one room disa—"

The phone rang again and Walter groaned as realized what must have happened. "I've _really_ got to have a talk with Thor!"

An hour later the phone stopped ringing, and the havoc was impressive. An entire room in the armory was empty, a storeroom in the commissary was bare, supplies from the infirmary were missing, and the base exchange was threatening to kill a little gray alien for cleaning them out of BDUs, several pairs of boots, two laptops, and several boxes of various supplies necessary for human health and comfort.

Even though he was a technician, Walter knew how to handle things. He fielded phone calls and complaints, accepted reports of the chaos for the general, and gave as much explanation as he could to the upset parties. More than once General Hammond had depended on him to be 'the one who got things done,' and that was what he did now. The only thing he couldn't do was issue orders and get the usual ball rolling again in the base. For that, they needed the general.

Walter was just beginning to feel as if he could handle this mess when the phone in the general's office rang. For everyone on base, it was either "speed dial" or just "_the phone._" Now _the phone_ was ringing and the general was not there to pick it up.

Ooh, boy.

Walter had no illusions that on the other end of the line would be some high mucky-muck that could probably ruin his career if he didn't like what Walter had to tell him, but he just couldn't let the phone ring. That specific phone _had _to be answered. You never, _ever_ ignored the "speed dial" phone. If you heard it ring and the general was not around, then you got him ASAP and let him know the phone was ringing. Walter looked around at the other occupants of the control room, but even the Marines looked worried. Taking his courage firmly in both hands, Walter went into the office and picked up the phone.

"General Hammond's office," he said, thankful that his voice wasn't shaking. At least, not noticeably.

Walter's eyes bugged as the operator told him who to expect on the other end of the line in ten seconds.

"I'm—I'm sorry, sir," Walter said, interrupting the tirade the man had launched on as soon as they were connected. "General Hammond is not here, sir." The man demanded to know where he was. "Well, sir, we're not entirely certain. You see, an ally of ours stopped by and said he had something to show the general and SG-1, and they were all gone just like that, sir. Yes, sir. Well, we haven't heard from them, sir."

And to think that Walter had been worried about some high mucky-muck who could ruin his career. He didn't have to worry about _some_ high mucky-muck, now he had to worry about _the_ high mucky-muck.

Great. Just great. General Hammond owed him a nice, long period of down-time once he got back. He'd need it just to recover from all the mayhem and chaos and his little conversation on _the phone_!

--

"Do you think Thor has any food on board we can eat?" Sam asked after several hours. She was hungry, thirsty, and beginning to be a little tired and more than a little cranky.

Jack tore his attention away from the window. "I'm sure he must have _something_," he admitted thoughtfully. "I mean, he knows we need to eat every now and then. Let's go find him."

Thor had left the command area of the ship and had disappeared about an hour ago, so all four humans left the observation windows and started to search for their little gray pilot.

"I hope that whatever he has it tastes better than what I had the last time," Carter said as she walked along with the men. "Those waxy cookie things were terrible."

"Carter, it's not polite to insult a host's cooking," Jack admonished, sounding amused.

"Um, you can laugh all you want, sir, but if those things are on the menu, you can have my share."

They found Thor in a mid-size room that looked like it had been empty until recently. In the center of the room was a long table with chairs and along the left wall were several cardboard boxes and plastic bags. Thor was standing by the table as if surveying a job well-done.

"What's all this?" General Hammond asked, surprised. All of those boxes and bags looked as if they had come from the base! Oh, dear. There would be a lot of very unhappy people in several locations on the base after this. He'd be reading their reports and taking their complaints for days.

"Before we left Earth's orbit I transported up supplies for all of you," Thor explained, moving over to a console and shifting a few stones. The transporter's light shone over the table and there was suddenly a veritable _feast_ of perfectly good Earth food ready and waiting to become a fond memory.

"_Yes,_" Sam gasped, heading for the table. "Thanks, Thor! This is awesome!"

"I shall fill out the requisite paperwork when we return to Earth," Thor said, sounding very amused as he watched the general's expression change from surprised to resigned.

"That's a lot of homework," Jack said. "You gonna join us, Thor?" he asked as he, Teal'c, and the general took seats.

"I shall, O'Neill," Thor said, also taking a seat. The transporter delivered a plate of his food just as the humans began passing around the food and serving themselves from the large platters, obviously looking forward to their first meal with Thor.

"Mmm, hot roast beef," Jack said, sinking his teeth into a just-constructed sandwich. "How'd you know what needed to be heated up and what needed to be kept cold?" he asked as he watched Carter dig into a small carton of ice cream.

"I asked Jonas Quinn while he was still part of the SGC why so much of your food had…leaked…all over the floor of your ship," Thor told him. "He told me why and gave suggestions on how to prevent that problem the next time I took a…" he paused, searching for words. "A 'road-trip' with you."

No one could help it; they had to laugh at that. "Good old Jonas," Jack said, taking another bite of his sandwich. "So you now have a way to keep stuff cold and a way to cook it. I'm impressed, buddy."

"We have not needed such means for a long time, O'Neill," Thor said. "The knowledge was practically lost among the Asgard, but lately, there has been a vogue for heated or cold meals."

"My compliments," Teal'c said, finishing what had to be the tallest sandwich one man could hold.

"Is human food as delicious as that of the Asgard?" Thor asked a few minutes later after observing how much his guests were enjoying their meal.

Carter stayed silent, and to make sure she stayed that way, she took a big spoonful of ice cream.

"Well, we like it," Jack said thoughtfully. "Asgard tastes might be different from human tastes, though. Wanna try something?"

Thor actually looked eager for the new experience. "What would you suggest?"

Jack took an empty plate and filled it with a lettuce leaf, carrot slice, cherry tomato, slice of bread, slice of roast beef, a dill pickle, a few grapes, a quarter of an orange, a small snickerdoodle cookie, and a slice of chocolate cake. "There you go. Now you have a little bit of every taste on this table."

Thor examined his choices and began to sample the lettuce. He stopped eating and looked at Jack. "What is that, O'Neill?"

"That's a bit of lettuce. We Tau'ri like to make salads out of it."

"It tastes like packing material. _Old_ packing material."

Sam fought down a giggle and hurriedly scooped up more ice cream.

"Well, see if anything else tastes good."

The humans were all vastly amused as Thor sampled each thing in turn. He never made faces, but he did pause after he tasted something, as if he really did not like the taste. He'd just taken a bit of the chocolate cake when his eyes closed and his lips pressed together. "Excuse me a moment," he said, leaving his chair and exiting the room.

"Huh," Jack said, starting on his dessert. "Wonder if he liked it."

A sudden noise startled everyone. "_Pppfffthbthbthbttt!"_

"I would say not, O'Neill," Teal'c said, fighting down a smile.

"_Fffllaaaah._"

Jack listened to the sounds in amazement. He hadn't known that the Asgard could make noises like that. "I guess he didn't. Think he's okay? I didn't poison him, did I?"

Thor came back in. "What was that I just tasted, O'Neill?"

"That was chocolate cake," Jack said quickly as Thor sat back down. "Thor, are you all right? You're not going to have an allergic reaction, are you?"

"I am fine, O'Neill," Thor assured him. "However, I am hesitant to try this last item." Thor regarded the pickle with misgiving.

"Well, you don't have to," Jack told him hastily.

Thor picked up the pickle, took a bite, chewed, and then stopped. His eyes widened, and Jack waited for the little Asgard to either lose his lunch all over the table or go into convulsions, but what actually happened surprised everyone.

Thor took another bite.

Then another.

And another. He kept eating until the entire pickle was gone, and the next sound he made was so unexpected that more than one human wondered if he was okay.

"Mmmmm."

"I…take it you liked the pickle?" General Hammond asked.

Thor actually looked as if he were smiling. "Yes, I did, General Hammond. There is nothing like it in Asgard cookery, but its taste was just perfect! Are pickles a delicacy on your planet?"

"Well, they are if you put toothpicks in 'em and lay 'em out on a fancy relish tray," Jack joked. "Actually, they're pretty common. Lots of people eat them. The only thing you've got to watch out for is that they're high in sodium."

"I shall remember, O'Neill," Thor said, holding out his plate. "May I have another?"

General Hammond passed the jar of pickles to Jack so he could serve some more to Thor. It was amazing to him that of all the things on Earth that Thor could come to love, he ended up loving something as simple as a dill pickle!


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 19

Quickly Ara called a hasty council of the other Ashah within the compound and informed them of what had happened. He shared his memories of the encounter and gave them his impressions and waited, allowing them to discuss the situation amongst themselves. All of them seemed surprised and more than a little disturbed at the fact that Daniel had this…person…in his mind.

"Was it a consciousness or the remaining memory of one?" Lar asked, sounding confused.

"It was the remaining memory of one, but it was the _strongest_ one I have ever felt, and it was the only one I've ever seen that could interact with an outsider independently," Ara told him. "It's actually helping him defend himself."

A moment of shocked silence followed.

"It…interacted with you?"

"Yes," Ara assured them. "It spoke to me. It warned me away from Daniel. It said that it and its people would feel compelled to 'step in' if Daniel and the others were not returned to Earth."

"How can they step in?" Ban wanted to know. "There's no way they can hurt us; we are too well defended."

"That was what the being said," Ara persisted. "Perhaps they have abilities we cannot defend ourselves against? After all, look what Daniel does whenever he blocks us! That's actual pain we're feeling, not the mental impression of pain!"

"Daniel is not yet experienced in mental defense," Lar reminded him. "Of course he will make some missteps."

"I am uneasy about this," Ara said seriously. "These beings…they are unlike anything we've seen before. Can we risk angering them?"

The other Ashah shook their heads. "Ara, do not let this encounter frighten you. We have done as we wished for thousands of years, and no one has ever succeeded in stopping us before. Indeed, no one has ever felt that they should stop us. Most races have thanked us for making the changes we have made. These beings are probably only very territorial and are trying to bluff us into leaving 'their' humans alone. That is all it is."

Ara considered this. "He did seem rather vehement."

"You see?" Ban said, pleased that an explanation was so readily found. "We shall continue on as we have before."

"What should we do about Daniel, though?" Lar asked. "He is difficult, just as Pater said. We have tried everything we can think of: Constant contact, attempts to draw him out through talk, constant suggestions that he would be happier if he accepted the situation, trying to pique his interest in history or artifacts…What's left that we haven't tried?"

Ara thought about this and then he realized something. It may have made no difference at all, or it might make all the difference in the universe, but all of the Ashah who were working with the Tau'ri were males. Would Daniel be more amenable to having a female work with him? A mother figure rather than a father figure? He relayed this idea to the rest of the group and was met with strong acceptance. They agreed that having a female work with Daniel might be fruitful.

"Who should we ask, though?" Lar wondered.

Ara thought about it. "Steira. She would be perfect. She has an interest in history, she is very patient, and she has an excess of motherly instinct. There's nothing she likes better than mothering someone. If Daniel can resist _her_, then he's a hopeless case."

"Don't jinx us, please, Ara," Ban requested.

--

"Daniel?"

Daniel looked up from the book he was leafing through in the classroom and waited for what Ara had to say. "Hmm?"

"I'd like to introduce you to a friend of mine," Ara said, sitting down cross-legged at the same table as someone beside him did the same. "This is Steira, and she has an interest in history as strong as yours. I thought you two should at least meet."

"Hello," Daniel said as politely as he could. His patience had worn rather thin over the last few days and he was tense all the time. That tenseness often led to a sudden lack of manners.

"Hello, Daniel," she said, placing a large book on the table. "It is good to meet you. I brought something to show you. It's all about the history of your world from our perspective. Would you like to see it?"

She opened it and Daniel found himself craning his neck. The book was so big it practically covered the table and it was hard to get a good look. Abruptly, his problems were solved when Steira plucked him off his cushion and placed him on her lap. "Better?" she asked.

"Um…no," he said, moving to get off her lap. "I don't like to sit in other persons' laps."

"But you can see where you are, and I don't mind," she said kindly. "You're about the same size as my grandson, and he's on my lap all the time, so you don't have to worry about possibly hurting me."

"That's not it," he insisted, finally wiggling his way back to the floor. "I just don't like sitting in someone's lap."

"Well, try a pile of cushions," she said, handing him a few. "That way you'll be able to see."

Daniel did as she suggested and looked at the book. He'd learned to read the Ashah script easily, so reading this behemoth of a book was not a problem. Turning the pages was, though. They were too big for him to turn easily, and whenever it seemed as if he were having too much trouble with them, Steira would help him.

He was deep in the description of the Mesopotamian civilizations when Steira patted him on the shoulder. "Daniel?"

"Hmm?"

"It's time to eat."

"Babylon," Daniel muttered in a quasi-answer.

"Supper," she said, scooping him up from his seat.

"Hey!" he shouted, protesting. "Put me down!"

"You have to be hungry by now," she said, sounding determined. "There's pie tonight, as well as that red fruit you like."

"I'm not hungry!" Daniel said, trying to wiggle his way free. "Let go!"

"I heard your stomach growling," she insisted. "You can go back to reading after you eat."

She would not put him down but instead carried him all the way to the common room and plonked him down with his group. He ate a pie and a piece of fruit and all but shot out the door, eager to get back to his book.

Steira smiled as she chatted with the other people in Daniel's group. She'd see him soon, especially if he needed to turn a page.

After the meal was over, Steira headed back to the classroom to find Daniel. She found him right where she suspected he would be, struggling to turn a page. While the pages themselves were not heavy, they were a very difficult and awkward size for a human to manage by himself. Without a word she entered the room and helped him with the page he was fighting with and settled in for a short while of reading.

Ara stopped by later, telling her that it was almost time for Daniel to go to sleep. Carefully, she slid closer to him and waited, and when Daniel finished the current chapter with a happy sigh, she picked him up and carried him out of the room.

"This grows tedious," he complained. "I can _walk_, you know!"

"I doubt very much you would ever be able to walk away from that book," she said firmly. "It's time to go to bed, Daniel. You can read some more tomorrow."

"Please," Daniel groaned. "I pull all-nighters all the time."

"Well, you don't need to do that here," she told him. "It's time for bed."

Just like that she carried him into the bedroom and tucked him into his bed, telling him to go to sleep. Everyone else was already in bed, either asleep or pretending to be.

"Good night, Daniel," she said. "I'll see you in the morning."

Daniel lay there in bed, fuming silently as she walked out.

"I think they're gunning for you."

Daniel turned to see Carlisle sitting up and looking at him. "How's that?"

"I think they brought her in to work on you," Carlisle explained. "Think about it. Every other Ashah with us is male. She's a female. Why is she spending so much time with you? Maybe they think she'll succeed where they've failed."

"Well, they've got another 'think' coming," Daniel assured him.

"I hope so," Carlisle sighed. "I've been getting worried."

"Anything in particular causing that worry?"

"Oh, everything," Carlisle admitted. "There are times when I want to quit fighting. That really worries me. Sometimes I think we won't be rescued. That scares me. And there are times when I wonder if it would really be such a bad thing to give in. I'm starting to forget things again. I can't remember my kids' names. I knew them when they snagged us, but now, I can't remember. I don't know my wife's name. I asked some of the others, and they're starting to forget, too. How about you?"

Daniel thought about this. _Was_ he forgetting? Would he _realize_ if he forgot something? "I don't know," he confessed. "I guess I've been thinking about too many things to really notice if I'm forgetting something."

"Do you remember their names?" Carlisle asked hopefully.

Daniel smiled. "Your wife's name is Laura, and your two sons' names are Stephen and Benjamin. Your daughter's name is Kristen."

Carlisle's entire countenance relaxed. "Thank you."

"Anytime. If you feel you're starting to forget, let me know and I'll tell you if I can."

"Thanks."

--

The next morning, Daniel had no less than five people approach him to see if he could remember anything about what they'd learned of their families. He could remember names in most instances, and that seemed to be enough. He spent the next few days reporting on what he remembered, reading that incredible history book, and trying to put up with Steira.

She was everywhere and she would not leave him alone. He kept reminding himself that he didn't need to be rude with her, but it was difficult to resist giving a sharp comment sometimes. She was there during meals, during their study time, when they slept, and when they bathed. She even went so far as to help him scrub, especially if he'd been running around outside and came in sweaty and filthy. Not that he minded a good back scrub, but a full-body scrub was taking it a bit too far.

He knew the Ashah kept up physical contact so the dopamine compound could be used on them, but despite knowing the reason, he still hated being touched. If the entire Ashah race were tactile, then Steira was tactile plus. If she was near a human, she had to be touching him or her. Most often it was pats on the back or a back rub, but sometimes it was a full-blown cuddle, which always scared Daniel and surprised most everyone else. Instead of Steira, Carl began to call her Stealth Cuddle.

"Don't mind me," she'd say to her current victim. "I just love to cuddle all of you. You're so cute!"

"We're not cute!" Phillip protested. "We're adults. We have no need to be cute!"

"I wonder how she'd behave if she met human children?" Carlisle asked Daniel.

"The kids probably wouldn't survive the encounter."

Another thing that Steira did was tell stories, and that was one good thing about her that Daniel could appreciate. She told them all the folk tales and stories from the Ashah tradition, and Daniel began to write them down in English for his own reference. It seemed that some folk tale motifs were universal even among alien species. They had some version of a Cinderella tale, as well as a version of the Firebird story. Another parallel seemed to be a story about five brothers who were turned into fish by their stepmother, and their sister had to save them with a magic net woven from her own hair. On Earth, the story was about six princes who were turned into swans by their jealous stepmother, and the only thing that could break the spell was if their sister could sew them special shirts without saying a word until the shirts were finished and on the princes' backs. The story had some elements of the older story of 'The Children of King Lyr' in it, especially the jealous stepmother and the children turned into swans. At any rate, the story was good, so Daniel wrote it down. Since Steira could tell he liked the stories, she always made certain to tell more than one a night and to take her time in telling them so Daniel would not miss a word.

If Daniel was worried about Steira's almost constant contact with him, then she was very pleased by the same contact. Each hour she spent with the archeologist was a joy, and she enjoyed talking with him about history. Sometimes when he was deep in his book she could rub his back or even put an arm around him and he rarely noticed. That was all to the good as far as she was concerned, since physical contact would gradually help him accept being on Ashah and his new life.

Still, there was something else that was beginning to worry her. Sometimes during their conversations, Daniel would just stop and stare off into middle space for a moment before picking up the thread of their talk again as if nothing had happened. Other times he would gaze off into space for close to an hour on end, and no matter what she or anyone else tried, he would not come out of it completely until it seemed 'finished.' She raised her concerns with the Ara and the others and they conceded the point that something might be wrong with Daniel. Medical exams revealed nothing, but gentle probing of the young man's mind told them that the memory of that odd being was actually _doing_ something during those times that Daniel seemed to click 'off.' What it was doing was beyond their ability to sense, and that was…worrisome.

If they'd known what was really going on in Daniel's head, they would have panicked.

--

_Just like that,_ the being said, regarding Daniel's work with a smile. _Excellent. Now they will only see what you want them to see. Well done, Daniel._

"How is it I can do these things?" Daniel asked. "And how is it that you're here? Won't the Ashah realize you're here?"

_The Ashah cannot do anything about me or the fact that I've been helping you,_ the being assured him. _As for how you can do these things, all humans everywhere have the capacity for mental defense and abilities, but they've never needed to use them. That's all it is._

"Could I teach the others?" Daniel asked.

The being thought about this. _Well, you could, but I would not try it, Daniel. You're not used to entering other minds and their subconscious minds might mistake you for an attack and fight against you. That could injure you._

"Oh. Well, it was just a thought. They're all scared, so I figured if they had a way to defend themselves, they'd be less scared."

_I understand, and that's very kind of you,_ the being complimented. He stopped and seemed to come to a decision. _That's enough work for tonight. Is there anything you want to talk about? You know I'm always ready to listen._

Daniel shrugged. "I don't know. The usual worries, I guess."

_You're worried that you'll be trapped here for the rest of your life, am I right?_

Daniel nodded.

_I think I can do something that will give you hope,_ the being told him, smiling. _Take my hand._

Daniel did as he was told, and as soon as his fingers touched the being's hand they were rushing through space so quickly that it looked like they were in hyperspace. Perhaps they were. He wasn't about to argue about it since it wasn't really all that important anyway.

_There_, the being said as they slowed to a stop. They were floating out in space and within sight was an Asgard ship.

_Your friends are on their way,_ the being told him. _Would you like to see them now?_

Daniel tried to speak but found his throat wouldn't work. _Yes, please,_ he said hopefully. _I'd love that._

The being took him closer to the ship and then inside, through the corridors and into a large room. There was a table and chairs, piles of boxes, and in the corner there were sleeping bags rolled out on mattresses that could only have come from the SGC. In those bags were his teammates and General Hammond, and the lights were dim.

"General? How about you?" Jack was saying.

"Cheese dogs," Hammond said. "Those have to be the best thing ever created. Oscar Mayer has the best."

"Never knew you were a cheese dog person, General," Sam said, wiggling her feet inside her bag.

"Any kind of hot dog, really," Hammond admitted, "but cheese dogs have that extra little something."

"You like Chicago dogs?" Jack asked.

"With all the fixin's," the general chuckled. "How about you?"

"Love 'em. Teal'c, remember when I fixed you a Chicago dog? Wasn't that thing delicious?"

"It was certainly memorable, O'Neill," Teal'c agreed.

"We're definitely having a hot dog cookout when we get back home. Hope Daniel will like it."

"Daniel likes hot dogs," Sam assured him. "He also likes Chicago dogs. Remember he went to school in Chicago? Anyone who goes to Chicago has got to have a Chicago dog."

"With a pickle spear," Jack added. "It's just not a Chicago hot dog without a pickle spear. Thor would love 'em. Think he'd like to go to the hot dog cookout? We'd have pickles."

"He'd end up in the tabloids," Sam protested. "You have neighbors, sir."

"We could hold it at the cabin," Jack countered. "We'd be the only ones out there."

"I don't know if Thor would like hot dogs," Carter said.

"Well, he can have a pickle dog," Jack said. "What do you think, General?"

"If he wants," Hammond said. "Now that we've got that all hashed out, it's time for some shut-eye. Thor says we'll be there by morning and we don't know exactly what we'll find. We need to rest."

"Can't wait to see Daniel's face when we show up," Jack said, settling into his sleeping bag as Sam snuggled into hers.

"Neither can I, sir," she said, finding a comfortable position.

It was silent for a few moments, but then an odd, snorting _snork_ made Jack, Sam, and Teal'c all look at the general. Over the next minute, it grew progressively louder.

Daniel heard the being next to him chuckle.

"Woah," Jack whispered.

"I know," Sam said, sitting up. "Do you think he'll wake himself up?"

"Unlikely," Teal'c said, his eyebrow rising.

"Maybe we should wake him up and ask him to turn on his side," Jack suggested, looking at Carter.

"_I'm_ not waking him up!" Carter said, aghast. "He'd court-martial me! _You_ wake him up, sir!"

Jack looked at Teal'c.

"He might be more forgiving if you woke him up, O'Neill."

Jack sighed. "If you say so," Jack said, reaching over and shaking the general's shoulder.

"Hmmmf?"

"Sir, could you turn over on your side? You're a little congested."

"Mmmf." The general turned over and silence reigned.

"Thank God," Jack whispered. "All right, it's time for lights out, campers. Nighty-night."

"Goodnight, sir."

"Sleep well, O'Neill."

Abruptly, Daniel was awake and in his bed in the dorm. He was more than a little confused, but he was also elated. His friends were on their way! They'd be there by the morning! Yes! He felt like getting out of bed and dancing around, but a sound next to his bed distracted him. He turned and saw a huddled shape on the floor near the bed, and he was surprised when he recognized Sylvia. He was even more surprised when he realized she was crying.

"Sylvia?" he whispered. "Sylvia, what's the matter?"

"They don't love us," she gulped, trying to stay quiet. "Not really. They only like us because of our stupid gene patterns. They don't love us because of who we are. They don't! Not even _Pater!_ He only adopted us because of our genes."

Daniel fought the urge to say, 'I told you so.' Instead, he sat down next to her. "What finally convinced you on this?"

"I heard them talking," she said, accepting the handkerchief he offered. "I don't know how I could hear them, but I could. I heard every word. There was nothing in that conversation about how they liked us or cared about us, like they've been telling us all along. It was only about our genes and how we were taking longer to settle down and accept things and start procreating than they thought. That's all they care about! One of them suggested making blood chemistry changes to us while we were asleep that would _advance _us and make us want to start having babies. They want to change us so the babies we have will be even more advanced."

She buried her face in the handkerchief and sobbed, her shoulders shaking.

"I thought they loved us!" she moaned. "I _wanted_ them to love us! Do you know, the few things I remember about my family are all sad? When I was little, I just wanted to know my family loved me, but Pater actually made me feel loved. Now I find out, after I've been so foolish, that he didn't really love us! I feel like my heart's breaking!"

It sounded as if her heart _was_ breaking. Gingerly, Daniel scooted closer to her and put his arms around her, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder.

"What are we going to do?" she sobbed quietly. "I don't want to do what they want us to do!"

"It'll be all right," Daniel whispered. "I'm certain it will. Remember when I mentioned my friends? Well, they're on their way here. They'll find us and they'll get us out of here."

"How? We don't even know how far we are from Earth! They don't even know where we are!"

"That's never stopped them from finding me before," Daniel assured her. "I feel I can promise you that it won't be long, and they'll get us out of here and back to Earth without a problem."

"What's to stop the Ashah from taking us again?" she wanted to know. "They managed to steal us once, and that was from a high-security base!"

"I'm sure they've already taken care of that," Daniel said. "Don't worry. It won't be long now."

Daniel held her until her sobs eased and her breathing steadied. When he looked, he saw that she had fallen asleep, exhausted with weeping. Carefully, he picked her up and eased her into his bed, settling her head on the pillow. Just as carefully he slid in beside her, putting his arms around her and burying his head next to hers in the pillow. Let the Ashah make of that what they wished. For tonight, they both needed a little company.


	21. Chapter 21

He smiled, watching the two humans sleep. Daniel had turned in his sleep to face Sylvia and to put an arm around her just as she put her arms around him. The two of them looked like innocent children, but he knew they were not. No, they were fully adult, and that was one thing that the Ashah were not willing to accept. They were not expecting their "children" to rebel, resist, or attempt to leave. That would be the thing that saved the humans from the Ashah. The Ashah were not expecting them to fight back.

Neither one of them knew that he'd been working with the other. Daniel did not know that he'd been working with Sylvia, and Sylvia did not know that he had been working with Daniel. Still, working with both had been necessary. Balance was needed in order for their escape to succeed. Daniel was male, and Sylvia was female. He dealt with speech and logic and heard words in all their forms. She dealt with feelings and heard the music of the mind. It was a good pairing, one that would help them to succeed in breaking away from the Ashah.

The first break had occurred when he entered Sylvia's mind. She'd already begun to doubt the Ashah—there was nothing definite in those nebulous doubts, but he'd brought them all to the forefront of her mind so she began to think about them more. That opened the door for suspicions to grow, and slowly, she began to be afraid of the Ashah. Why she was afraid she didn't know, but the fear made her cautious around them. As she grew more suspicious, he fostered her dormant abilities to hear thoughts so she could hear what the Ashah were thinking. After all, it wasn't fair that they could read the minds of the humans while the humans were unable to read theirs. What she heard in their minds alienated their only human ally, and she sided with the others. Now the opposition was uniform.

The work he'd done with Daniel had been just as careful, but he'd allowed Daniel to be aware of his presence. They'd met before and he knew Daniel would trust the changes that went on in his mind if he were open about it with the Tau'ri man. With Daniel, he worked on mental defense, techniques that would allow Daniel to block his thoughts and inner self from the invasive minds of the Ashah. To the Ashah, Daniel's mind and thoughts were something like a mental feast. He remembered things in detail and thought so deeply about such a myriad of subjects that his subconscious resembled a mental smorgasbord. Since the minds of the Ashah were so open and similar to one another, encountering a mind like Daniel's was a treat for them. The closer their proximity and the more constant their physical contact with him, the deeper they could go into his mind and the more intense their experience. Having the Ashah in their minds made all of the Tau'ri tired, but it exhausted Daniel. He needed to regain his strength, so he'd taught Daniel how to defend his thoughts, mind, and deepest self from the Ashah.

The Ashah's attitudes were similar to one another. They felt they were more advanced than humanity and they felt that it was their duty to help them "advance." The only way they saw that happening to humanity as a whole was to breed advanced humans. They felt that physical advancement would lead to mental advancement. What they didn't realize was that certain humans were already highly advanced in their minds. Humanity had produced philosophers, scientists, architects, writers, artists, doctors, members of religious orders and countless other individuals who made the world a better place through their work. Humanity was still producing them in high numbers despite the problems plaguing Earth. The Ashah had world peace, no hunger or strife of any kind on their planet, yet they were beginning to stagnate. They produced no individuals who created new things or ideas. They made no innovations for themselves, but instead they sought to foist their ideals on other races. Some races had actually benefited from the Ashah's interference, but humanity would only be hampered by it. Humanity was a social race with an individual mentality. Each person was an individual complete in him or herself as long as he or she could interact with his or her fellow beings. The Ashah had evolved somewhat from a hive mentality, and each person was an individual only in possessing a consciousness. Mentally, there was quite a difference between the humans and the Ashah. Humans advanced mentally through learning while the Ashah advanced mentally through physical changes that occurred during their evolution. The Ashah could encourage structural differences in a human's brain during its gestation or they could actually change the parent's brain structure so the offspring would retain those changes, but there would be no true advancement made. They consistently failed to grasp that.

As Daniel would say, it was like trying to talk to a brick wall.

It wasn't as if he hadn't tried! He'd done some interference of his own and he could move in and out of the Ashahs' minds as easily as he could move through the humans' minds. He managed their dreams, fostered suggestions, and planted doubts, but his efforts were failing abysmally. It was possible that their rudimentary hive mentality was keeping things from being effective. Perhaps their minds were a bit too primitive for him to work with. His people had encountered other races like that, and it was fully possible that the Ashah were a short step above those despite their abilities. One would think that they should be capable of higher understanding since they were able to travel without the use of ships or Gates, but the universe always had a way of surprising you.

--

Daniel sighed as he felt awareness beginning to creep up on him. He felt warm, comfy, cozy, and completely relaxed for the first time in ages. His dreams had been good, and he was waking up without a crick in his neck or an ache anywhere. He needed more mornings like this. He shifted, felt arms around him, and he froze.

_Think, Daniel. Think._ Why was there someone in bed with him? He thought about last night and opened his eyes, spotting Sylvia a bare two inches from his nose. Ah, now he remembered. He'd put her in his bed after she fell asleep next to him after crying her eyes out. He'd settled in next to her because he felt in the need of some company and because the cushions out in the common room had been just too far away for how tired he'd been feeling. There. Everything explained.

"What happened last night?" someone whispered, sounding very surprised.

Daniel looked and spotted Carlisle sitting up in his bed. "A lot, but she's on our side now."

Carlisle smiled. "Good to know."

"Yeah."

The lights in the room began to brighten and Carlisle groaned as he flopped back into his pillows. The Ashah were coming to get them up. Daniel did his own amount of flopping and pulled the covers up over his head. He was so comfortable that he wasn't going to get up until he was darn well and ready to do it. Maybe around noon he'd feel more like getting up. Then again, maybe not.

"Good morning," Daniel heard Ara say. "It's time to get up."

"Go away," someone moaned. "You're way too awake."

"Time to get up, Carl," Ara said.

"No, it's not," Carl grumbled. "Beat it."

"Aren't you hungry?" Ara wanted to know. "It's almost time for breakfast."

"If it's not steak and eggs with a side of chocolate-glazed doughnuts, I'm not budging," Daniel heard Phillip snarl.

"Bag it, will you?" Mark complained, rolling over in bed. "It's too early for this much noise."

Ara stood in the center of the room after trying to get some of the other men up. "What's the matter with you all today? You've never been like this!"

"Hey, we're entitled to be a little grumpy if we want," Greg snapped. "We're tired, we want to stay in bed, and your coming in and waking us up is more than a little annoying. Now go away so we can all go back to sleep."

Ara didn't give up. He tried to get Carlisle up and got a pillow in the face for an answer.

"I know there's one person who'll be reasonable," Ara said, sounding a little put out. He went over to Daniel's bed. Daniel heard him and clutched the blankets even tighter around himself.

"Daniel, it's time to get up."

"Scram."

A moment of surprised silence followed. "Daniel?"

"Scram, Ara. It means go away. Leave me alone. I'm not getting up for breakfast or for anything else. I'm staying right where I am."

"Don't be ridiculous," Ara said, taking hold of Daniel's blanket. "It's time to get up."

One tug and the blanket fell away, revealing Daniel and a still dead-to-the-world Sylvia.

Greg spotted her and sat up. "Woah. Um, Daniel, what happened last night?"

"Not what you're thinking," Daniel said hastily as Sylvia's hand reached for the covers to pull them back up around her shoulders. "Trust me. She just needed a little company last night."

"_Close_ company?" Carl teased.

"Oh, get your filthy mind out of the gutter," Daniel snapped. "_Nothing_ happened. Believe me."

Ara had been standing there silently for the last few minutes when he suddenly went tearing out of the room.

"Oooookaaaay," Carl drawled. "What was that all about?"

"I don't care," Daniel said, settling back into bed.

--

_You won't believe it!_ Ara said as the rest of the Ashah gathered in the common room in response to his mental summons.

_What?_ Ban asked, wondering if Ara had lost his mind. In reality that couldn't truly happen because of their brain structure, but there was always a first time.

_Daniel…and Sylvia!_ Ara declared triumphantly. _They were sharing a bed! It doesn't look like any procreation took place, but this is a step in the right direction, isn't it? She had her arms around him, and it looked like he'd been holding her. Oh, this is wonderful._

Steira's face broke out into a huge smile. _It looks like we need to get the private rooms ready!_

Ara looked around at his companions and smiled. They were just as excited as he was. _I think--_ He stopped, suddenly confused. _What's that?_

Everyone else listened, but the odd "buzzing" that Ara had heard had stopped.

_It must have been something unusual passing by,_ Lar said, dismissing the incident. _I think we need to do some judicious interfering, don't you?_

_How so?_ Ara asked, returning to the subject at hand.

_Well, as Steira suggested, we need to get the private rooms ready. They'll want privacy in the coming days. Also, they're going to need some extra nutrients and substances in their food so their bodily conditions will be favorable. We can add it to this morning's breakfast and hopefully those compounds will work by tonight._

Ara smiled. Yes, hopefully those compounds would work. They would help anyone who took them feel more…receptive. He just hoped they would do the same for Daniel. Daniel seemed to be an outlier in their group, one who seemed to be impervious to the majority of their methods. He was a strong fighter, but the fight and stress were beginning to show. He needed to relax, and the man would feel much better for the physical release that the act of love gave his species.

_All right, let's get started, everyone, _Lar said. _We have breakfast to finish preparing, and while they're outside today, we can set up the private rooms. Let's go._

--

"Woah," Carl said, shivering. "What the heck was _that_?"

"I dunno," Mark said, getting to his feet and looking around the room. "Anyone?"

"It felt like an all-over static charge," Greg admitted. "Or an all-over feeling like when your foot falls asleep."

"More like a combination of the two," Phillip said, trying to get his muscles to stop twitching.

Every man in the room had the same problem. Limbs and muscles were twitching after a few seconds of a sensation that none of them had ever experienced. Daniel, however, had experienced something similar in the past and wondered if it had any bearing on the present situation.

"Daniel, what do you think it was?"

"Um, offhand, I'd say it was a transporter of one of our allies, except that we weren't transported anywhere," he admitted.

"Do any of you guys know what just happened?" Caro demanded, coming into their room.

"No clue, but Daniel has a theory."

"What's your theory?" she asked, turning to him.

He repeated it.

"Transporter? Like in Star Trek?" she asked skeptically. "Beam me up, Scotty?"

"Something like that," Daniel agreed. "Except I've never known one of them not to work, even in the worst conditions. If they begin to transport you, then you're transported. There's very little that can stop it from happening."

"Think the Ashah have done that? Made the transporters useless, somehow?" Greg asked.

"It's possible, but I think it's far more possible that they're blocking them. They can only make the transporters useless from the ship they're on, and we're not on the ship."

"Oh."

Abruptly, it happened again, and anyone who was standing promptly fell over.

"D'you think you could get them to stop?" Caro pleaded, her muscles twitching.

"It's not like I have a communicator," Daniel said, trying to get his body under control. "I don't think they'll try again."

Sylvia woke up, limbs a-twitch. "What's going on?"

"Daniel thinks his friends are trying to transport us out," Carl said, his arms still twitching.

Slowly, the twitching eased, to be replaced with a feeling of complete relaxation in every muscle.

"Medically speaking, I think both attempts to get us out of here tired our muscles out," Greg said as his body experienced the odd sensation.

"Who cares?" Phillip said from where he lay on his bed. "The aftermath feels kinda nice."

"Let's hope they don't make a habit of this," Greg answered.

"I think it's all right for now," Daniel said as the last of the sensation faded. "I hope. Do you think the Ashah noticed anything?"

"I hope not," Sylvia said, sitting up.

"Well, so good to see you all up at last," Ara said as he came in. "Breakfast is waiting, and it will get cold if you sleepyheads insist on remaining in bed."

Carlisle grinned, surprising Daniel. "You know, there's a quaint little custom on Earth we call 'breakfast in bed,'" he said, not budging from his bed. "We could begin it here."

Ara began to wonder if all of them had made a pact in the night to drive him absolutely nuts. "The girls are already out in the common room."

"Not all of them," Sylvia said, glaring at the oh-so-noisy Ashah.

"The majority of them are," Ara persisted. "Do I have to carry each of you into the common room?"

"Try it, and we'll make your life a living hell today," Phillip informed him.

Daniel laughed, although nothing had really struck him as funny. It was like someone in his head had found Phillip's statement inordinately humorous.

Ara left, and every human in the room gave themselves points for sticking it to the Ashah.

--

The Ashah had come back in force, letting their human charges know that no nonsense was going to be tolerated. Ara had been gone for only a few moments but he'd returned with backup. Immediately, each human felt as if they were under attack, even though all the Ashah did was stand there and look at them. Against their volition, the humans stood and walked into the common room, taking their accustomed seats. From the looks of discomfort, Daniel could tell that being forced to go somewhere by someone else's mind was just as painful for everyone else as it was for him.

"I trust this is the only lesson you will need on doing as we ask," Ara said as he took his seat and began to hand out breakfast. "As long as you obey, it won't be repeated."

Daniel took what was given him and began to eat without a word. He was hungry and he didn't trust himself to speak. As he ate, he remembered what he'd seen or dreamed the night before. Jack and the others were on their way and they were supposed to be there that morning. If that were true, then where were they?

He kept asking himself that question all during that day. He thought about it while he was reading that incredible book, while they were having lunch, and while they were outside in the garden. Where were they? He didn't think that what he'd seen had been a dream. After all, he knew the being in his mind (how schizophrenic did that sound?) wouldn't make something up. What he'd seen was real; he was certain of it. So, where were Jack, Sam, and Teal'c, not to mention Thor and General Hammond? They should be here by this point and wreaking the utmost havoc they could wreak.

He wandered into the bathroom after being outside and took a quick bath, mostly to wash the sweat off and to feel better. He'd run around with Carlisle and some of the other guys, trying to race one another and he _needed _a good bath.

_Where are they?_ he asked as he soaked. _I thought they'd be here by now._

_Their ship is in orbit above Ashah, but something is interfering with the transporter,_ the being explained. _They can't transport down and they can't transport you up. They're in the middle of figuring out a way to get to you, but you will have to be patient a little longer._

Daniel wondered for a moment if the being had ever intended on being so...active...with him. Did he and his people do this with every race they met?

_No, we don't, _the being admitted. _You're the first, but then again, your people are almost ready to meet ours. They asked me to keep in touch with you this way. When I saw you needed help I became an active presence in your mind, rather than a passive one._

_When did this begin? Your helping me, I mean,_ Daniel asked, scrubbing his hair.

_When the Ashah took you off-world. You didn't really need me until you were in the lion's den, so to speak. Interesting way of expression, human thoughts. So many colorful euphemisms and metaphors._

_Humans like variety in their expression, _Daniel told him, glad to be back on the familiar ground of words. _What was it that happened this morning? Why did Ara freak out like he did?_

_He saw you and Sylvia sharing sleeping arrangements as a positive sign, one which, I am afraid, will have repercussions._

_Oh, goody, _Daniel muttered. _**So**_ _sorry to disappoint him._

The being chuckled. _Human sarcasm is as amusing as your metaphors._

_Glad I can amuse you,_ Daniel said, hopping out of the tub and wrapping up in a towel. As he dried off, he thought about his situation. He'd been certain he'd never be comfortable with someone else sharing his head, but now, he accepted it as a matter of course. Although the being was alien and his thoughts were alien, they were warm and comforting instead of frightening. His thoughts were so different from Daniel's own that Daniel didn't really mind sharing his head with him.

_Thank you,_ the being said warmly. _I am glad to know you don't mind, even though I am here without your explicit permission._

_Oh, it's all right,_ Daniel assured him. _I'm glad you're here._ He finished dressing and wandered into the bedroom, intent on relaxing a little bit on his bed.

His bed was gone.

Okay.

Why was his bed gone?

Sighing, he stalked back outside in search of Ara. There was no sign of him, so he tried the study and the common room. He found him sitting on a cushion, talking to some of the other Ashah.

"Hello, Daniel," Ara said. "What can I do for you?"

"Where's my bed?"

"It's in a private room," Ara told him. "We had a feeling that you would like some privacy in the future days."

Daniel put a stranglehold on his temper. "Just because Sylvia and I shared a bed last night does NOT mean that we're going to have sex!" he snapped.

Ara shook his head. "Daniel, you're a young, healthy man. Eventually you and any companion you choose will wish privacy."

Daniel stalked out, certain he would not be able to keep his temper if he stayed. How dare they make such an insinuation? It was as if they equated him to an animal that had no control over himself. Well, he would prove them wrong. He would not succumb to their plans, and he would not allow them the satisfaction of being right. Any contact between him and Sylvia would be strictly platonic.

He spent the rest of the day thinking about his situation and considering his options. Over supper he decided the best way of handling things would be to let Sylvia know what was going on and to warn her what the Ashah were planning. That way, neither one of them would be taken by surprise by their plans and machinations and plots. He sought her out after dinner and began to approach her when he began to feel strange. He tried to shake off the feeling, failed, and ran into the bathroom, where he ducked his head under a full-flowing tap of the coldest water he could stand.

_I'd never thought I'd be taken by surprise, but it just goes to show that the universe has a way of fixing your hubris,_ he heard.

_What's wrong with me?_ Daniel asked, abandoning the tap and standing under a showerhead. The cold water shocked him and it was giving him something else to think about, thank goodness, but his body was still screaming at him to go back and talk to Sylvia.

_They've gone from obnoxious to downright devious,_ the being said. _Hold on just a little longer, and I'll take care of this._

_Please,_ Daniel begged. _I don't think I can take this._

Slowly, the feelings washing through his body eased, and he sagged against the wall, the water still pouring over him, making him shiver.

_Better?_ the being asked.

_Much. Thank you,_ Daniel said fervently.

_It's all right. I don't think I've been this angry for a very, very long time. _

_What can we do?_ Daniel asked, thinking quickly.

_I warned them that we would step in if they went too far,_ the being said. _Leave it to me._


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 21

"I do not know what happened, O'Neill," Thor said, examining the controls of the transporter. "They should all be here."

"Have your transporters ever failed to function before?" Teal'c asked.

Thor looked thoughtful. "Sometimes they have, but there were always conditions that were unfavorable toward proper function," he admitted. "It may be that there is something about the planet that is keeping the transporters from working, possibly something in the atmosphere."

"Well, that's just great," Jack said, sighing. "Okay. What do we do about this?"

"What if we were closer?" Sam asked. "Actually in the planet's atmosphere? Would that work?"

Thor considered this. "It is possible."

"What would we do if it does not?" Teal'c asked, raining on the parade.

"Then we move in with P-90s," Jack suggested. At everyone's dark looks in his direction he sighed. "Not really. I'm just saying, we may have to take care of this rescue mission personally rather than trusting it all to the transporters. No offense, Thor, but sometimes even Asgard technology can be unreliable."

"None taken, O'Neill," Thor assured him. "We must make plans if our first option of trying the transporter again does not work. Any suggestions, General Hammond?"

"Let's try the transporter again, and if it doesn't work, we'll begin making an extraction plan."

Their foray into the planet's atmosphere proved to be a useless trip, so SG-1, General Hammond, and Thor began to make plans. They decided it would be best to move in at night since the captives would be sure to all be sleeping in or near the same place and there would be no need to go running all over the place trying to locate them. Scans of the planet revealed that all of the humans were in one place, a small compound with several large rooms and a good-sized walled garden just outside it. The compound was connected to a larger compound by a single long corridor. Presumably, the larger compound was living quarters for the Ashah guards. After scanning was complete, Thor brought up a virtual floor plan that matched the dimensions of the compound below so they could practice moving through it.

Jack was practicing moving through the floor plan at the moment, and he looked at the laser blue lines on the floor, wondering just what this room was. "What kind of room is this, Thor, with these huge circles that you can't walk through?" he asked. "Are they pillars?"

"No, O'Neill," Thor said, tweaking the controls. Other circles appeared several feet above the ones on the floor, and lines extended from the floor up, connecting the two circles. "They are large bathtubs."

Jack looked at them, more than a little surprised. "Oh. Okay. A proper bathhouse. Are they channeling Japan?"

"Mind on the mission, colonel," General Hammond said. "You're in the bathroom now. How do you get to the sleeping quarters?"

Jack moved through the floor plan, hoping that their little rescue mission would work. Then again, it had to work. Leaving this place without Daniel was not an option.

Once everyone could move through the floor plan with no problem, the members of SG-1 geared up with zats and smoke bombs for distraction and hoped they could get through all of this without having to zat one of the Ashah twice. Sam knew that Colonel O'Neill would dearly love the chance to do that, but he didn't need to have that on his record. A rescue mission where no one was hurt was a good thing, but one where people did get hurt could get out of hand very quickly and cause misunderstandings that the political resources of the SGC would be hard-pressed to fix.

She wasn't the only one hoping that things would turn out well.

--

Ara took his seat and sighed. All of them had seen Daniel's hasty retreat from Sylvia and knew that he was fighting what he'd been given in his food, and he wasn't the only one. More than one of the humans suddenly rushed away from any prospective partner and began to distract themselves in any way they could. More than one male ended up in the bathing room, although the Ashah could only guess why until Pater explained. Apparently, cold water was a remedy to unwanted urges.

"Why did it fail?" Lar asked, perplexed. "It doesn't make sense."

Pater shook his head. "Human motivation is complex."

"Motivation wasn't the problem," Lar interrupted. "We knew for certain they were motivated! What I don't understand is why they didn't do what they so clearly wanted to do. You heard their minds, didn't you?"

"Let me finish, Lar," Pater said. "Even though they were motivated to do what we wanted, they may have been motivated _not_ to do it, and that motivation overrode the first."

"Our child, I don't see how they were able to override the first," Lar persisted. "It was strong enough to overcome everything else in their minds."

"Yet they were able to resist," Ban said thoughtfully. "Steira, what do you think?"

Steira considered the question. "What could have motivated them to resist the effect of the substances in their food, Pater?"

"A number of things," Pater admitted. "Latent memories of spouses on Earth, religious considerations that condemn intercourse without marital ties, the conviction that restraint in the face of desire is a virtue, fear at the sudden strong sensations, or in Daniel's case, perhaps a desire to thwart us."

"Is he always so…oppositional and defiant?" Ara asked.

"I told you he was difficult."

"You said he was difficult, yes, but you didn't say that he was obstinate, tenacious, unyielding, mulish, intractable, uncompromising, refractory…"

"That is what I implied," Pater said quickly. "Those were my thoughts exactly."

"Incorrigible, unmanageable, uncontrollable, rebellious, insubordinate…"

"Have you been repressing thoughts, Ara?" Steira asked, somewhat surprised at the strength of feeling that Ara was exuding.

"Obstreperous, recalcitrant, trying, and vexatious to a fault!"

"Breathe, Ara," Ban suggested, and the others nodded quickly.

Ara did as was suggested. "I'm sorry. I've been terribly frustrated with him. There are times when I've felt as if I were fighting more than one of him, and that he had enough determination for ten people. He's an intelligent member of his species, but that _has _to be all!"

"What about the memory of that consciousness he encountered in his travels? It is in his mind, and it is strong enough to interact with an outsider. Perhaps it is giving him added strength."

"Memories in a human mind fade over time unless that human's memory is extraordinarily gifted," Pater said. "Daniel's memory is good, but not so strong that it qualifies as gifted. Surely that memory has faded somewhat by now. Certainly it will have faded enough not to cause problems and help him resist."

"I think that with Daniel, anything is possible," Ara muttered.

"Acknowledging that Daniel's capacity for resistance is almost unbounded does little to resolve our present situation," Lar said, bringing them back to the topic. "How do we handle this sudden resistance from all of them and how do we ensure that what we wish to happen happens? Do we add more substances to their food? Create an environment more conducive toward the desired outcome?"

"A mixture of both would be effective, I think," Ban said.

"Humans are highly individual," a quiet male, Iri, said. "What is effective for one may not be effective for another."

"Was there anything particularly effective on Earth, Pater?"

"Several things," Pater said, relieved. "An atmosphere of romance varied from couple to couple, but several had things in common. Soft or dim lighting often helped, as did warmer temperatures. A special meal with soft music. We could create those same conditions here."

"If we did that, would they understand what we were doing and try to resist?"

"Daniel might," Pater said. "He might resist longer than the others, but he does have an appreciation for the romantic in him. He'd begin to think about it and eventually come to accept it, appreciate it, and finally be susceptible to it."

"Your people are wildly optimistic," they heard. It was Daniel's voice and they could see that it was Daniel speaking as he entered the room, but it did not sound or seem like Daniel. The voice had a quality to it that they'd never heard before and a slightly different accent, the way he held his head wasn't right, his gait and stance were different, and the expression on his face was wrong.

"Daniel," Ara said nervously, getting to his feet. "What's wrong with you?"

Daniel gave a small smile that made Ara feel nervous. "You are not speaking to Daniel. I am someone else."

"What is this, a game?" Lar demanded, also getting to his feet. He had a short temper and an even shorter toleration for someone he thought was playing games with him. "Go play somewhere else. We're in the middle of a discussion."

"A discussion about breeding the captive Tau'ri," Daniel said, still smiling. "It is a fruitless discussion. Nothing will come of it."

Lar was not about to sit there and take that from any member of any race he deemed in need of his help. He strode toward Daniel, intending to give him a physical chastisement, but in the next moment he was lifted from his feet and flung into the far wall.

"I won't let you hurt us," Daniel said quietly into the shocked silence that followed. "Daniel does not deserve it, and _I_ will not allow it."

That was when Ara understood. "You--you're the being--the one that read Daniel's memory..."

"And I am also the being that warned you to return these Tau'ri home and to leave them be," 'Daniel' said. "Also, I warned you that my people and I would feel compelled to step in if you persisted in your plans."

A moment of silence and then Ban crumpled to the floor, holding his head and groaning.

"And that will teach you to invade another's mind without permission," the being said. "Neither Daniel nor I want you in this mind."

"Is Daniel even there, or are you another example of the Goa'uld?" Ara asked, frightened that the other consciousness had taken over permanently.

"Don't be foolish, Ara," the being said. "I am here with Daniel's permission. He and I trust one another. I have come to tell you that I will be taking the Tau'ri home."

Ara shook his head. "You don't understand," he said, hoping he could convince this strange being of their good intentions. "Everything we're doing is for the benefit of the Tau'ri. You'd be doing them a great deal of harm if you took them away."

The being tilted his head--Daniel's head--and looked thoughtful. "How so?"

_He's willing to listen_, Ara thought deep in his mind_. A miracle_. "The Tau'ri can reach their evolutionary potential with our help. You know that sometimes the right gene patterns coming together will lead to offspring who are more advanced than their parents. They are more physically and mentally developed, capable of greater things than the previous generation. The present generation of the Tau'ri are capable of incredible things now, but just think what the next generation will be able to do if that next generation is even more advanced! The possibilities are limitless. Daniel and the other Tau'ri we have here all possess the gene patterns that will lead to such offspring."

"You did plan on performing changes on Daniel and the others to get even more advanced offspring. You were planning, weren't you, to advance Daniel's present state in real time so his children would be even more advanced?"

"I see you understand," Ara said, actually pleased. If this being could be brought to see reason about the situation, then perhaps he could convince Daniel and the others to accept what the Ashah were trying to do.

"I understand," the being said, giving one nod.

"If you understand, then perhaps you can help us explain it to Daniel," Steira said, sounding hopeful.

"Daniel understands as well," the being informed them. "He always has. He finds it all as repugnant now as he did when he first learned of it. He won't submit to any changes you plan on making to him and he will not do what you wish."

"I don't see why he finds it repugnant," Lar said, gathering his courage enough to speak. This being could swat him into the wall just by looking at him, and he wasn't taking any chances. He stayed where he was kept his voice as calm and neutral as possible. "It's all for his benefit."

The being shifted his attention. "His benefit? I doubt it."

"Well, we can certainly help him enjoy the act of creating children," Lar continued. "The majority of humans already enjoy that act, but we can help him make an even greater pleasure out of what he might see as an onerous duty."

The being shook his head. "That would not make a difference to Daniel," he said. "He does not wish to perform that act at all, and he will not be coerced by any measure. Putting drugs in his food has certainly not won his trust."

"They won't do him any harm," Ara hastened to assure the being. "They were only to make him more receptive."

"They did harm of a kind you would not expect," the being said. "Great harm."

Ara could feel everyone's emotions as easily as he could feel his own. What did this being mean? The substances given to Daniel and the others during the day were only designed to give pleasurable sensations and to make them more receptive to being physically intimate with another person. There was nothing harmful in that!

"Nothing harmful?" the being said, picking up on their emotions. "You do not know the Tau'ri as well as you think you do. You've caused a great deal of harm."

"But we've caused no harm!" Ban insisted. "None of them have been hurt."

"You've hurt them, and if you do not know how you've hurt them, then you do not deserve the chance to interact with them. We will be going now, and you will not be able to contact them again. You are very young, and you must learn more about the universe and its peoples before anyone can trust you."

With that, Daniel disappeared, leaving the speechless Ashah staring at where he'd been.

--

"All righty, campers, let's—" An odd hum in the air interrupted him, and there in the room were all of the human captives and Daniel.

"Daniel!" Jack said, hugging his best friend. "How the heck did you pull this off?! All right!"

Daniel blinked and looked a little dazed. "Um, that's a long story," Daniel said, sounding just as dazed as he looked. "Can we get out of here?"

"Sure thing! Hit the gas, Thor!"

"Excuse me," Thor said, wending his way through the sudden crowd of humans.

"Daniel," Jack heard one of the men say. "_Who_ is that?"

The question sounded more like, "_What_ is that?" but he answered it as if Carlisle had meant nothing different. "That's Thor. He's the Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet, and his people, the Asgard, are our allies."

"So Roswell was real?" Carl whispered, unable to look away from Thor.

"Um…" Now, how did he answer this?

The ship moved away from the planet with hardly any noticeable acceleration, and more than one human looked as if he or she were beginning to go into some kind of shock. Whether it was from the abrupt escape or rescue (Jack wasn't sure which it was, really) or whether it was from the fact that they were on an alien ship with an actual alien they hadn't expected to see, Jack wasn't certain, but the shock needed to be eased before it turned into hysterics.

Obviously, Thor thought the same. "We are now travelling at the utmost speed back to Earth," he said. "Are any of you hungry? Tired? There is plenty of food and places to sleep."

_You have to give the little guy credit,_ Jack thought. Thor certainly knew how to handle people. Somehow he got them corralled and talked them into following him, and he led them to the area that Jack had begun to think of as the human living quarters. The table had become a buffet, sofas and easy chairs the appropriate size for humans had appeared, and more sleeping places had been set up. Even the light was dimmer to help people calm down.

"Three kinds of soup have been prepared and the breads and drinks are hot. Major Carter, you have medical training. Would it not be wise, from a medical standpoint, for everyone to eat, perhaps talk a little, and then rest? The aftermath of an ordeal usually involves fatigue."

Jack and General Hammond both gave Thor points for studying up on human psychology and the benefits of warm comfort food.

"That would be a good idea," she affirmed.

Thor nodded. "I shall leave you to it, then," he said. "I shall go up to the bridge and begin monitoring our journey. I wish you all a pleasant evening."

One of the women watched him go. "You know," she said thoughtfully. "I like him. I think he's kind of cute, like a big teddy bear."

With Sam, Jack, Teal'c, and General Hammond working together, they managed to get everyone settled with a mug of soup, a cup of something hot, and some bread. People sipped, ate, and talked, mostly saying how glad they were to be going home. More than one person broke down in tears, but they were short-lived and mostly from relief. Once everyone had been fed and calmed down, SG-1 and General Hammond settled them in sleeping bags for the night.

"You too, Daniel," Jack said, taking an empty cup from Daniel's hands and leading him over to the bags. "Sleep."

The fact that Daniel didn't even give a token argument worried him, but he knew better than to pursue it at that time.

As Daniel settled into a sleeping bag, he felt a familiar presence with him. _It will be all right, Daniel,_ the being told him. _I promise._

_I wonder if they knew I could see and hear everything while you were talking to them,_ Daniel said as he closed his eyes. _You told me once Ara entered my dreams, and that he learned about Hathor that way. Knowing what he knew, how could he allow them to put drugs in our food? He had to know that it would be too much like what happened with Hathor, right?_

It was the betrayal of people who had claimed to care for him that hurt him so much, the being knew. Deep down inside, Daniel wanted to believe that everyone was as fundamentally good as he was, and it was always upsetting when he found another instance of that not being true. He also knew that it would take Daniel some time to recover from this. _I think Ara was so focused on achieving the ends you'd been brought there for that he forgot what being drugged might imply for you, _he said. _Either that, or he thought that the joy you found in your offspring would offset any pain caused in the process of their creation._

_He was really reaching, then,_ Daniel said dryly.

The being was silent and Daniel had the oddest sensation that he felt someone smooth his hair. _Daniel, would you like me to give you a soothing dream?_

_That would be nice, _Daniel said as he feebly fought the sleep creeping up on him. The last thing he wanted was to fall asleep and have nightmares.

_All right, then. Let yourself fall asleep._

Hearing that, Daniel finally let himself fall asleep.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 22

The being worked while Daniel rested. He moved from human to human, removing all traces of himself left from when he influenced them to reject the Ashah's drugs. He'd overextended himself in a dozen ways before he was done with that little task and he was tired, but his work would not be complete until they no longer had memories of him. He did not like fussing with someone else's mind, especially a thinking being's mind, but it was necessary. Humanity was not ready for contact with their race, and it was as much for his race's protection as it was for humanity's protection. While the Ashah sought to "help" humanity by interference, his race sought to help humanity by non-interference and careful planning. Still, influencing another's mind seemed terribly Ashah-like and he hated the way that made him feel.

How close could someone be to the hypothetical line and still not cross it? Could you justify interfering with another species because it was for "their own good"? The Ashah believed you could and that you ought to do it, but his race felt differently. Even so, they'd come awfully close to behaving in Ashah-like ways since meeting with Daniel and SG-1. Was their interference with the Ashah's plans entirely justifiable, or were they projecting their values and mores on another race simply because that race did not value the same ideas they did? Was their interference actually going to hinder humanity by taking them away from the Ashah, or were they helping the humans and the Ashah both by stepping in and stopping the Ashah?

Now he knew why he'd never become a philosopher. His head hurt. He valued insightful thinking just like everyone else of his species, but sometimes thinking got in the way of actually thinking through the problem. One could ponder a problem efficiently, ponder it thoroughly, or ponder it until it caused a headache, but pondering only got you so far unless you made the correct decision, and it was always hard to find that. Hindsight often was the most valuable ally in decision making since one could learn from one's past mistakes, but hindsight was never available until _after_ a decision had been made. Provoking, but the truth.

A ripple of emotion caused him to turn his attention back to Daniel for a moment. His dreams had shifted, descending into darker, more disturbing realms, and he hurried to set the balance right, but a moment later he withdrew and let Daniel's dreams take him where they may. He was dreaming about the Ashah and his time on their planet, and one of the ways his mind worked was to help him work through and process in his dreams upsetting experiences he'd had while awake. He would do Daniel a disservice if he re-directed his dreams now.

Finishing with the last human, the being moved through the Asgard ship, taking note of things he hadn't seen before and new innovations to share with the rest of his people. Such things interested them all, so his news and descriptions would be welcome. He found the rest of SG-1 in the bridge of the ship, talking with Thor and an older, bald man he hadn't met but knew from Daniel's memories. This man was General Hammond and Daniel had a great deal of respect and friendly affection for him.

"I know one thing, we're going to have to get them all to sign non-disclosure agreements once we get home," Jack said, perching on the edge of the console.

"That won't be pleasant," Hammond said, sighing. "Some of them might feel that they should be free to tell everyone all about their experiences after all they've been through—a kidnapping on Earth that lasted several years, then another kidnapping to another planet, meeting aliens…"

"Who'd believe it?" Jack wanted to know. "The people we don't want to know about this."

"I take it you are speaking of the NID?" Teal'c asked.

"Yeah," Jack admitted. "They'd just love to get their hands on some of these folks."

"How will you protect them from the NID once they are off your base?" Thor asked.

"That's the million dollar question," Sam said. "Once they're off the base, our options are limited."

"Perhaps you should assign each individual a watch hound?" Thor suggested.

"A watchdog?" Jack corrected. "What would that accomplish?"

"An individual these people could contact if they felt threatened," Thor explained. "Someone they could call for help."

"Oh, a handler!" Jack said. "What about it, General? Have we got enough resources for that?"

"We're going to have to find them," Hammond said. "I don't see any other viable solution. At least, not yet, anyway."

"How much should we tell them about the NID is what I'm wondering," Sam said thoughtfully. "Would the NID even be a threat to them or are we jumping at shadows?"

"Better safe than sorry," Jack opined.

"I suppose so."

Teal'c looked as if he were considering something very carefully. "What if we were able to negate the NID's interest entirely?"

All heads turned toward him. "What do you mean, Teal'c?" Hammond asked.

"We could make the whole situation seem less unusual than it really is, and hopefully, the NID will not wish to pursue it."

"Teal'c you and your good ideas are part of what makes SG-1 so overwhelmingly cool," Jack said, grinning.

"I have my moments, O'Neill."

Sometimes, the being reflected, it helped to have more than one mind at work on a problem. Several perspectives often helped to find solutions. He only hoped that this solution would work out for them. The last thing these people needed were for others of their race to cause problems.

--

Daniel woke shaking and choking with fear, certain that if he moved, he would die in the next moment. Abstractly, he knew what this feeling was: it was the nightmare or night hag, a feeling of choking or inability to draw breath that most people in ancient times and Middle Ages attributed to an evil spirit sitting on your chest while you slept. Bad dreams due to severe anxiety could cause difficulty in breathing, so the people burdened with such a hag had to visit a faith healer or priest in order to be 'hagrid,' or rid of the hag that plagued them.

It was his thoughts that saved him. While he thought about the concept of night hags, his breathing eased and his body relaxed as he calmed. He felt much more like himself, and he rolled over in his sleeping bag, trying to get himself in a state conducive to sleep. He wasn't sure how much time passed before he realized it was hopeless and got up.

He headed down the corridor in his sock feet, hoping that the rest of SG-1 would be up and willing to talk with him. He hadn't seen any of them in the sleeping quarters, so it stood to reason they would be with Thor.

As he entered the bridge, Thor saw him first. "Daniel Jackson," he said, actually sounding surprised. "You should be sleeping."

"Dreams woke me," he said, dismissing them with a shrug. "I was hoping you guys were still awake. I missed you while I was on Ashah."

"We missed you, too," Jack said.

"More than you can know," Hammond added.

"Good to hear," Daniel said with a little smile. "Really good to hear. What happened after they took us?"

Jack grinned. "Cursing, swearing, alarms going off. You know, the usual."

"Planning, plotting, mayhem…" Sam continued.

"A bit of chaos," Teal'c added. "And a great deal of travel through the Stargate."

"Finally, a visit from our good buddy Thor and a trip into the wild black yonder," Jack finished.

"About what I expected," Daniel said, still smiling. "How long were we there?"

All of his friends stared at him, confused.

"I had a bit of trouble keeping track of time," Daniel said. "I could never tell if it was the same day or a different one when I woke up from a nap."

"Well, since you disappeared, it was three weeks before Thor came and it's been two days since we left Earth," Sam said.

Daniel shook his head, amazed. "Seems much longer than that. Seems more like months."

"I am certain that in your situationit would have seemed to be a much longer time duration," Thor said. "I am sorry we did not get here sooner."

"You got here as fast as you could," Daniel said, shrugging off the apology. "You've nothing to be sorry for."

"What do you want to do as soon as we get home?" Jack asked.

Daniel smiled. "My library is waiting for me."

"Unh-hunh," Jack interrupted. "You're not going to hole up with a bunch of books. General, tell him he's not going to hole up with a bunch of books. He needs fun! He needs his brain to wake up! Why don't we go somewhere where we can cut loose and go crazy? I vote we go to an amusement park! The man needs roller coasters!"

"Colonel, you're nothing but a big kid at heart," General Hammond said, smiling. "I think this is a subtle hint for downtime, am I right?"

"Nah, sir, I don't do subtle. This is a blatant hint," Jack said, grinning so much it looked as if his face would crack.

"I'll give you downtime if Dr. Jackson agrees to it."

Thor wiggled in his seat, vastly amused as everyone looked at Daniel.

"Oh, what the heck," he said, finally giving a full smile. "I could do with a little vacation."

"I'll see to it, then," General Hammond said. "And Dr. Jackson, you aren't allowed to pack any books."

Daniel stared at him. "Sir, that's cruel and unusual punishment. I think that maybe just this once I can choose what I take with me when I go somewhere. After all, I haven't chosen for the last two times."

"He's got you there, colonel," Hammond said, fighting down a chuckle.

"All right, one book it is," Jack amended.

"I think one suitcase will be enough," Daniel teased.

"Oy."

The joking and teasing went on for a little while longer, mostly focusing on how many books Daniel would be taking with him during his downtime and the measures the colonel would take to ensure that he didn't spend all of his free time reading. They quickly became hilarious and soon every human was laughing, and even Teal'c was chuckling. Thor was merely amused.

Tired out from all that laughing, General Hammond suggested they all head to bed and pick up the discussion in the morning over breakfast. Thor watched this particular human ritual through a video connection and found himself oddly...touched by what he saw. O'Neill, Major Carter, Teal'c, and General Hammond all arranged their sleeping bags so they would be close to Daniel Jackson. Within a few minutes, all of them had settled down to sleep, with Teal'c meditating before sleep nearby. It looked as if the rest of SG-1 were guarding Daniel. As Thor switched off the monitor, he realized that that was true. They _were_ guarding Daniel. They were keeping their friend safe, even while they were sleeping. As Thor leaned back in his chair, he reflected on what a beautiful thing that was.

--

The being returned to Daniel's mind after finishing his tour of the ship. Daniel had been awake for a short while, visited with his friends, and gone back to sleep, and this time he would sleep until the morning. The being hoped that something interesting would be served for breakfast. It was very interesting to taste human food, and Daniel never forbade him from experiencing the taste of things while he was eating.

It was amazing how easily Daniel had accepted his presence, and the being knew that he would miss Daniel a great deal when it was time for him to go. Contrary to what the Ashah thought, he was not a memory--at least, not a memory as the Ashah knew and understood the term. He was something more than a memory, something a little less than a consciousness. When he left he would return home and re-integrate with his physical body before sharing all that he had learned with the rest of his people. They knew everything he knew from his reading of Daniel, but his experience of remaining with Daniel during his daily life and late experiences would be events worthy of their attention and careful scrutiny, just as Daniel and his people were. The future would be very, very promising for the Tau'ri as soon as they were ready to face it.

--

"Ideas?" Lar said, looking at the other Ashah assembled around him.

Ban raised a hand. "I think we have to meet this head-on and let these beings know that we aren't going to let them interfere with what we're doing," he said seriously. "They didn't even bother with the Tau'ri until we brought them here, right, Ara?"

"As far as I can tell, they were perfectly content to sit back and wait until later before communicating with the Tau'ri," Ara admitted. "It was only after they arrived here that the being came forward and communicated with us."

"Hadn't it been communicating with Daniel?" Iri asked uncertainly. "It did say something like that, didn't it?"

"It did, but we have no way of knowing how long that's been going on," Steira groaned. "We were in trouble from the first moment! How are we giong to fix this?"

"I have an idea," Pater said quietly.

"Yes?" Ara asked.

"Let me go back to Earth. I'll try to establish contact with them. I'll get them to trust me again, and then I'll convince them to go with me."

"Where will you take them?" Ban wanted to know.

"To one of the houses we own on Earth," Pater said. "Perhaps it was a mistake to bring them all the way here for the future we planned for them. After all, Earth is their home. They might be more amenable to what we want for them if they're on their home planet and surrounded by things and sights that are familiar."

"Are those suggestions your human instincts talking?" Ara asked, smiling. Pater truly was brilliant!

"Perhaps," Pater said, returning Ara's smile.

"Well, shall we vote on this?" Ara asked, turning to the assembled Ashah.

The vote was unanimous.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 23

Thor sank back into his seat and sighed in relief. He hadn't realized just how…curious…some humans could be. He was used to dealing with SG-1 and the staff of the SGC who were just _used to_ seeing him and talking with him. For the other humans, this was their first trip with an Asgard and they weren't going to let any chance go by to satisfy their curiosity. Their questions had not been difficult or embarrassing, just…unending.

They asked questions about everything: his home planet, himself, about the ship, and about every conceivable item in space. Devon, a tall man much like Teal'c, was an astronomer on Earth, and the poor man was in transports of delight whenever he saw something that he recognized. Thor got quite a shock when he heard Devon shout, "Hey! Hey, guys! I just got my first close-up look at a nebula! Aw, that's completely awesome! Hubble's got nothing on this!"

"Surely you have seen a nebula before," Thor said, surprised.

"Well, yeah, but just in pictures. I've never been this _close_ to one, though."

Thor liked the fact that O'Neill was also in front of the window looking at things. Astronomy, after all, was his hobby. Even though O'Neill had seen a great deal of space, Thor found it vastly amusing and more than a little gratifying to see that O'Neill was just as fascinated at Devon. That was what made O'Neill such an interesting man: he never lost his sense of wonder. In that, all of SG-1 were alike, even the reserved Teal'c.

Meals were interesting, like the supper he was enjoying with everyone else at the moment. There was a great deal of talk that went over Thor's head entirely, but it was still interesting to hear and watch everyone interact. Thor was more than relieved to see Dr. Jackson actually relaxing and laughing and talking with the rest of SG-1 and some of the others. Thor had been worried: Dr. Jackson somehow seemed to attract trouble through no fault of his own, and he dealt with it admirably, but there was always a limit to how much someone could handle. He'd been afraid that this latest incident would have been too much for him, but happily, he'd been proven wrong. It would be a while before Daniel was back to himself, but he was already on the way.

As Thor watched everyone's reaction to O'Neill's latest joke, he reflected that he would have to take a 'road trip' more often with SG-1.

--

It was good to be home. The trip home with Thor took a day longer than it had taken going out because they had done a little 'sight-seeing' with Daniel's fellow captives, but other than that, nothing remarkable had gone on during their time on the galactic road. The rest of Pater's 'kids' had enjoyed seeing space and bypassing other planets, one guy named Devon flipped out when they passed close enough to get a good look at a nebula. Thor had transported them home not two hours before and they were all in the infirmary, having their usual "just back from outer space" physicals.

Revenge was _so_ sweet as Jack heard the general's complaints while the old guy got his physical. Now he knew what his teams went through every time they came back from being offworld.

"It's good to see you, Daniel," Janet said as she began his physical. "How are you feeling?"

"Happy to be home," Daniel said as she started taking his pulse. "Deliriously happy."

"Good to hear it," Janet told him.

The physicals did not take long since Janet had received word from the commissary that a feast would be waiting all of the Ashah detainees in one of the multi-purpose rooms and she put some speed on all of the tests and procedures that each person had to go through. In record time the physicals were done and the detainees were on their way to a meal to remember while General Hammond was on his way to his office. Walter had stopped in looking dazed and blurted something about paperwork, supplies, and a stern talking-to.

"I'm sure that will make sense later," Hammond said, following Walter to his office.

"Sir, I'm hoping that my downtime is sometime soon," Walter said, sinking into a chair. "Hopefully, this weekend?"

"Walter, what happened while I was away?"

"The phone, sir," Walter told him. "I never want to have a phone call like that again. Ever."

Hammond winced. The poor man had to take one of _those_ phone calls. "Sorry you were left with the phone, Walter."

"The next time you talk to Thor, could you let him know how chaos-causing just transporting a commanding officer away from his base can be?"

"That will be the first thing I mention," Hammond promised him. "I take it I have a phone call to make?"

"Yes, sir," Walter affirmed. "He wanted you to call as soon as you got in, sir, but you had to have your physical first."

"All right," Hammond thanked him. "Your downtime starts at eighteen hundred tonight."

"Oh, thank you," Walter sighed. "I'll get back to the controls, sir."

Hammond waited until Walter was gone before reaching for the phone.

--

"Oh, I love the commissary," Daniel said as he got a good look at the feast that was waiting for them. The commissary was great with food; they could re-create any dish that anyone requested and they were more than happy to feed people.

They had outdone themselves: roast ham, roast chicken, potatoes cooked three different ways, sweet and savory breads, corn on the cob, salad, and a dessert bar that would make any sweet-lover weep with ecstasy. Life was good.

"Oh, I love your cooks," Carlisle said, eyeing the spread.

"The mission is to decimate this spread and leave nothing behind," Jack said, eyeing the food. "Mission begins in 3...2..."

Teal'c just walked past and grabbed a plate. "There is no reason to wait, O'Neill."

With that, everyone grabbed a plate and started to load up on food. Daniel sat at a table with Carlisle, Greg, and SG-1.

"I don't know why, but I'm always starved after coming back from a space trip," Daniel said, taking a big bite of chicken.

"That's because being in space is difficult for the body and wears it down a bit," Sam said. "Your body's just trying to build itself back up."

"I don't mind building it back up," Carlisle said, chowing down. "How long will I be this hungry?"

"A couple days," Sam said, buttering a roll.

"Oh, good."

An hour later the food was gone and everyone headed to their quarters to get some rest.

"When will we be able to contact our families?" Carlisle asked as he and Daniel headed down the hall toward his quarters.

"Jack mentioned something within the next few days, after we've all been debriefed and a civilian liaison system has been set up," Daniel told him as they reached Carlisle's quarters. "Standard operating procedure whenever civilians are involved in an offworld incident."

"Oh. Well, okay. See you in the morning?"

"For breakfast?" Daniel joked. "Sure thing."

"For the food here, definitely," Carlisle agreed.

"Great," Daniel said. "Sleep well."

"You, too."

Daniel left, heading to his own quarters, more than happy to be back in his familiar surroundings. He reached his room, opened the door, and found the lights already on. He felt his eyebrows shoot up as he saw who was sitting in one of the easy chairs. "Dr. Mackenzie?"

"Hello, Dr. Jackson," Mackenzie said. "Sorry for invading your quarters, but the general and Dr. Frasier suggested I stop by and see you for a chat."

Daniel closed the door and fought against a headache. "Do we have to? I'm really tired. I'd like to get some sleep."

"Dr. Jackson, you know that it's standard procedure for you to have a psych session after a difficult experience," Mackenzie said. "The rest of your fellow kidnapees will be having theirs in the morning, but Dr. Frasier suggested that you have yours before you had a chance to brood."

Daniel flopped into a chair, more than ready to kill Janet. "I thought she was on my side, here."

"She is," Mackenzie assured him. "That's why she called me."

Daniel sat there, plotting a way to get even.

"You're already brooding," Mackenzie pointed out.

"No, I'm not. I'm plotting. There's a difference."

Mackenzie shook his head. "All you have to do is start talking," he said. "That's all. You already know that just starting to talk will help."

"I'm _fine_," Daniel insisted. "I don't need a psych session."

Mackenzie raised an eyebrow. "Forgive me if I don't believe you, Dr. Jackson," he said, taking out a pad of paper and a pen. "I won't go until you've talked about your experience, so if you want to go to sleep before midnight, you'd best start talking. Why don't you tell me about your daily routine where you were, and we'll go from there?"

There was a rumor that Mackenzie was the best psych professional available and that the base was lucky to have him, but at the moment, Daniel would have been more than happy to have someone less...relentless. The session seemed to take hours, and more than once Mackenzie's questions made him break down in tears. He had to describe what a typical day was like, what each of their Ashah 'handlers' were like, and the things that had bothered him the most. He also had to describe his feelings and thoughts during his time on Ashah, and that was one thing that he _really_ didn't want to do.

"It's late," Daniel said when Mackenzie asked that last question. "Dr. Mackenzie, I'm tired. I have to get up in the morning."

"Dr. Jackson," Mackenzie began. "Daniel, this is for your benefit. Not talking about your experiences..."

"How about I talk when I'm ready?" Daniel suggested, interrupting Mackenzie. "I still don't know everything I was feeling or thinking; most of the time I was just trying to...survive, I guess. I felt like I was under siege, all right? Now, can I go to sleep?"

"Was there ever a time when you didn't feel that way?"

Daniel groaned and leaned his head back against the back of his chair. "No. I felt that way all the time. I was always watched, they were always trying to get me to believe that being there was the best thing in the world for me, and I couldn't fight them. If one of them wanted to talk to me, he could just pick me up, hold me, and talk. It was a fight to get away. If one of them wanted to...cuddle me or something, there was nothing I could do about it. They were always there, they were always talking to me, and there was no way I could avoid them. There were no real doors in the place, just doorways, except for the door into the garden, and I couldn't go into the garden and lock them in or lock them out if I was inside. I couldn't get away from them at all. I couldn't get away from them even in my head--they could get in there, too. They could read my mind, talk to me in my head, even make me do things if they wanted me to do them. It hurt. When they were in my head and when they forced me to do something, my entire body hurt. Still, they claimed to care about me. Ironic, isn't it? They claimed to care about me, but they hurt me. Those three weeks were an eternity."

Mackenzie nodded. "Unbearable circumstances often have a way of seeming unending."

"That's the biggest understatement I've ever heard," Daniel said, getting up to get Kleenex. He was crying again and he hadn't even realized that he'd started.

"Do you think that there was anything the Ashah could have done to make you want to stay?"

Daniel whipped around and stared at him. "What kind of question is _that?_" he demanded.

"You said that they were in your head. You said more than once that they did things to draw you out and get you to trust them. Do you think that they were getting those ideas to draw you out from your head? Were they doing things that made you want to stay?"

Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose. "Could we stop now, please?"

"I think we should keep going," Mackenzie said.

Daniel shook his head and stalked past his chair to yank the door open. "We're finished for tonight, doctor."

Mackenzie sighed and packed up his notes. "Then we're finished," he said, getting and heading out the door. "But we'll pick this up again."

"So long as it's _later_," Daniel insisted.

Mackenzie left, and Daniel closed and locked his door. He got ready for bed and sank thankfully into the pile of pillows.

_He's a formidable man, Daniel,_ the being said. _Is he always like that?_

_I wondered when I'd be hearing from you,_ Daniel said. _Why have you been quiet?_

_You were working with a counselor; it wouldn't have been right for me to distract you._

_Do your people have counselors?_ Daniel asked, curious. Did people that were so much more advanced have psychological problems?

_Yes to both your questions,_ the being assured him. _We have things that bother us, things that frighten us, things that anger us, things that enrage us and make us feel attacked, and we have things that terrify and traumatize us, just like humans do._

Daniel wondered if they had people who exhibited mental illness due to an imbalance of chemicals in the brain.

_Not now, but we did in the past. We've been able to solve those problems due to research and a great deal of work_. _It's only in the past four hundred solar cycles that we've managed to perfect the medical procedures that take care of such mental illness._

_So your people only lose it due to trauma and bad experiences, not out-of-whack brain chemistry?_

_Hopefully, the person's friends notice that something is wrong before he or she even has to 'lose it,' _the being told him.

Daniel took his courage in both mental hands and asked a question that had been worrying him since he'd woken up in Pater's clutches. _Do you think I'm going to lose it?_

_No,_ the being said firmly. _You're not. I'm certain of it. If you were going to lose it, be sure that I would do something about it._

Daniel blinked. _How would you do that?_

_I would let someone know. Jack, most likely. You trust him more than you trust anyone._

_Do you think I should talk to Jack?_

_It can only help,_ the being said. _I can tell that you don't really like talking to Dr. Mackenzie._

Daniel smiled. Of course the being would pick up on that. _I guess it's because I've had to talk to him about every bad experience I've had since I joined the SGC. I think I've come to unconsciously equate him with bad experiences._

_That's fully possible,_ the being conceded.

Daniel sighed, rolled over in bed and tried to calm his whirling thoughts. It felt impossible to accomplish. _Do you think you could...put me to sleep or something? I'm tired and I'm tired of thoughts I can't stop. I want to sleep._

_Yes,_ the being said. _No dreams or soothing dreams?_

_No dreams, please,_ Daniel begged. _I don't think I could stand dreaming tonight._

_All right. Close your eyes._

Daniel did as he was asked and he didn't even notice the moment he fell asleep.

--

"Morning!" Jack said as he caught up with Daniel and Carlisle in the commissary the next morning. "How'd you two sleep?"

"Best night's sleep I've had in weeks," Carlisle said truthfully. "Daniel?"

"Slept okay," Daniel admitted, taking a bite of his waffles. "Mmm."

Jack went through the line and got his breakfast and the needed and oh-so-necessary cup of coffee. "Saw Dr. Frasier on my way down."

"How is Janet this morning?" Daniel asked.

"She's fine," Jack said, sipping his coffee. "She said you've got your psych session with Mackenzie at nine."

"Another?" Daniel complained. "I had one with him last night."

Jack blinked in surprise. "She said that it was your _preliminary_ psych session. She gave me the impression that you haven't had one yet."

"No, Mackenzie was in my quarters last night and said that General Hammond and Janet suggested he stop by and talk with me."

Jack put down his coffee cup. "Daniel, I was right next to the three of them when Janet suggested that Dr. Mackenzie see you first thing this morning since she felt you needed a chance to get some rest. General Hammond had said that you looked exhausted, and she agreed with him."

"Then who was in my quarters last night?"

Carlisle looked worried. "Would Dr. Mackenzie act on his own like that? Take the initiative?"

"No, unless the situation is truly urgent, and then he tells the general when he has to break orders."

Jack stood up. "Let's go see Hammond, Daniel. This is important."


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 24

Daniel was so busy during the next three weeks that he hardly had time to think about his odd "session" with someone posing as Dr. Mackenzie. Since the man hadn't reappeared and nothing had happened, General Hammond advised him to keep his eyes and ears open and to maintain contact with others on the base.

That was easy to do: he was so busy with half a million things that needed doing that he never even left the base. For him, the base was a familiar place with amenities he'd become used to (like the commissary—it was _so_ nice not to have to cook and wash dishes!), so it was no hardship to stay there. He got a meal when he was hungry, watched TV or read in his quarters when he needed to relax, exercised in the gym when he needed to move, and crashed on the bed in his quarters when he was tired.

Part of the work he was doing at the time was arranging for his fellow kidnapees to be reunited with their families and friends. The big reunion was set for the end of the current week and was going to be held at a hotel in town over the course of three days. That way, there would be enough accommodation for the families and it would give the kidnapees a chance to ease back into being with their loved ones. An added plus (and the most important one, security-wise) was the fact that the families would not have to go through all the security clearance. A civilian liaison system had been set up as well, and there would be access to counselors with the correct security clearance for each person. After such an experience, all of them would need counseling.

Dr. Mackenzie had had two sessions with Daniel so far, and both men were very frustrated with the other. Daniel kept insisting he was fine and did not need psych sessions while Mackenzie kept insisting that he was repressing his real feelings and trying to fool himself into thinking that he was fine. After a week of almost-constant animosity between the two, General Hammond asked Dr. Frasier to authorize a halt on Daniel's psych sessions. With misgivings, she agreed, but Daniel was under strict orders to talk to someone he trusted if he felt it was needed.

The first day of the big reunion came, and Daniel was there with the rest of his fellow kidnappees to meet their families. Most of them were so happy and anxious that they were practically bouncing off the walls of the large conference room, and Daniel could tell Jack was starting to lose his patience with the pacing, the fretting, and the sudden attacks of "Oh my God! I can't do this!"

"Whose bright idea was it to serve them coffee?" Jack asked Daniel.

"Um, there's always coffee," Daniel told him, deeply thankful for the presence of that elixir of the gods.

"We could've served 'em decaf," Jack muttered. "I don't think I've seen so many people all freaking out like this at once."

"I'm sure you have, you just can't think of any specific instances," Daniel joked.

Jack said nothing and took a sip of coffee. His cell phone went off, and pulled it out to listen to their recon team report that the first of their guests had arrived. "Okay, Carl's family's here."

Daniel glanced to where Carl was sitting in a chair, one leg bouncing with nerves. "I'll tell him."

"Be careful. He might be so excited that he'll throttle you."

"Ha, ha, ha."

Carl didn't throttle him. Instead, he turned white and his grip on his chair turned into a death grip. "They're here?"

"They're parking outside right now."

If it were possible, Carl turned even whiter. "What will I do? What on earth will I _say_? I don't even remember them!"

"Well, my memory was erased, too, but it all came back once I saw the people I'd been forced to forget," Daniel told him, hoping that would happen for Carl. "That's what might happen for you."

"I hope so," Carl said fervently. "I don't think I could stand not remembering them. According to my file, I've been gone four years."

Daniel was about to say something when the doors opened and Carl's family was ushered in. There were three girls, an older boy, a woman, two older men, and one older woman. According to his file, the family were his daughters, his son, his wife, his father and his father-in-law, and his mother. Carl flew across the room to hug his wife, the color coming back to his face and a joyful expression overcoming it. There was a great deal of kissing (his wife) and hugging (everyone else) while Carl kept saying, "Oh, you're beautiful! You're all beautiful!" Then, he ran back across the room to hug Daniel, practically shouting, "You were right! I remembered them as soon as I saw them! You were right!"

"That's great," Daniel said as Carl released him and shot back across the room to his family for more hugs. He rubbed bruises ribs and stood back to watch the scene.

Over the next hour more families arrived and each arrival was a repeat of Carl's first meeting with his family. The other kidnapees congratulated the recently reunited individuals and admired children and spouses. Daniel was being called for left and right to meet people, shake hands, and admire kids. Jack was in his element because a lot of those kids were very impressed with a real Air Force colonel.

"'Scuse me a second, kids," Jack said, extracting himself from his adoring little crowd. "Daniel, I just got the call--Carlisle's family is here."

Daniel thanked him and then went to tell Carlisle while Sam and Teal'c arrived to help marshal the different groups.

"Carlisle?"

Carlisle looked up from the floor, pale and silent.

"Your family's just arrived."

Carlisle swayed, Jack spotted him, yelped "Watch it!" and ran across the room to catch him before Daniel could even move. "Easy!" Jack said. "You'll be okay! You don't want your kids to come in and see their unconscious dad on the floor, would you?"

"S-sorry!" Carlisle blurted. "I just got dizzy for a second."

"It's all right," Daniel said while Jack pulled a chair up for Carlisle. "Actually, I'm kind of surprised that we haven't had more of this."

The doors opened and a second later Carlisle took flight, landing right in front of a very pretty woman accompanied by her kids. A second later and they were hugging one another.

"Ah, lucky guy," Jack said, watching.

"Yep," Daniel agreed, watching Kristen hug her father. "He is."

The last family arrived not long after that, and the rest of the day flew by. The kidnapees and their families got to know one another again, Jack briefed the families on the importance of keeping silent about the whole thing, awful though it was, due to national security. The families were asked to remain for the rest of the weekend so they could be introduced to their civilian consultants and briefed on what they could expect psych-wise from their newly-returned family members. Jack was more than happy to turn over that part of the job to Dr. Mackenzie and Janet. He had enough on his plate handling the civilian handlers.

Daniel flopped into bed that night and did not move until the next morning. The next two days were more of the same, in addition to a huge pool party on Saturday night in the hotel pool. Although none of the SG-1 members planned to swim, they ended up swimming anyway when the kids insisted.

"Glad I insisted you guys put on your swimsuits under your clothes," Sam said as they joined the kids in a water war. There was so much splashing going on that there seemed to be more water in the air than in the pool.

"Okay, it was a good idea," Jack said, grabbing a water noodle with which to defend himself. "Careful! I've got a noodle, and I'm not afraid to use it!"

Daniel laughed, splashed Jack, and then swam for his life as Jack said "Of course you know, Danny, that this means war!"

On Sunday people were able to check out and head to their homes, promising one another that they would keep in touch and write. Daniel said goodbye and good luck to each of his fellow kidnapees before spending a few uncomfortable minutes with Sylvia.

"They're just like I remember them," Sylvia said quietly as Daniel walked her toward her family's car. "Neither of them liked to be hugged, and they still don't like it. They're very...proper. And cold. And Rick..." she trailed off and shook her head. "He's supposed to be my fiance, but I don't know what I was thinking. He's just like them, Daniel. I don't think I'll stay with them for very long."

"You'll have to do what's best for you," Daniel said. "There are always places out there that need researchers, so you'll never be without work. Maybe...maybe you need to start over someplace new to find yourself."

She shrugged. "I suppose. Anyway, thank you. You know, for helping me, even after I did some pretty awful things to you."

"I should apologize," Daniel contradicted. "I was pretty nasty sometimes."

"It wasn't your fault; it was the situation," she corrected, giving him a hug. "Take care of yourself. Would you mind if I wrote to you?"

Daniel gave a little smile. "Not at all. Would you mind if I wrote back?"

She smiled. "Not at all."

--

"So, Danny, want a beer?" Jack asked as they drove across town that evening. The day had been a trying one and Jack had offered Daniel a ride.

"I'd like that, but we have work in the morning," Daniel reminded him.

"Actually, we don't," Jack said, smiling. "General Hammond called me and said all four of us had the week off."

"Why?" Daniel asked, surprised. "What will I do with myself for a week?"

"Anything you want!" Jack said, fighting off a chuckle. "So, beer?"

Daniel nodded. "Sounds good."

Fifteen minutes later and they were in Jack's den, drinking beer and talking.

"I always knew Carlisle would pass out when he saw his family," Jack said, sprawling in the recliner.

"I can't blame him for it," Daniel said after taking a big swallow of beer and savoring the taste. "They're pretty incredible. I'm envious. Who wouldn't be?"

"Well, I'm not," Jack said. "I've got my best friend back. I think I've got the better part of the deal."

"Well, so does Carlisle."

Jack considered this. "True." He noticed Daniel had finished his beer, so he opened another one and handed it to him. "Here you go. Have another."

"I'll get drunk," Daniel protested.

"Nah," Jack assured him. "I've been building up your tolerance to alcohol, didn't you realize? You can have up to five before you get drunk. Four'll have you slightly tipsy, but you should be all right with just two or three."

"If you say so," Daniel said, taking a swallow.

Two beers later Jack decided to try getting Daniel to talk to him. "What do you think the Ashah are up to now?"

"I don't care," Daniel said, leaning back in his chair. "I really don't. I'm sick of them."

"I guess it's pretty easy to be sick of them," Jack said. "With all the stuff they pulled."

"Zactly!" Daniel said, his tongue not quite able to handle 'x'. "All the stuff they pulled! They said they cared about us, a great future was ahead for us, but only if we followed their rules and let them do what they wanted to us. We weren't people to them, we were just their favorite breed! We weren't people, we were pets who could talk! They even petted us!"

"Petted you?" Jack said, pretending to be shocked. "Heaven forbid!"

"No, I'm ser'ous," Daniel assured him. "All the stuff they did...it was petting, really. They never take no for an answer! I mean, do you ask a dog's permission before you pet one? We were pets and they couldn't wait for the first litter of kids to be born! You wouldn't believe how often they threw us at one another! _And_ they drugged us to get us more receptive to what they wanted! Can you believe that?"

"Unbelievable!" Jack agreed. "Ridiculous!"

"And they never let me alone, either! They were always in my head, always talking to me, they could even force my body to do things that I didn't want to do! I mean, feeling that way once was enough; I didn't need a second time!"

"Second time?"

"Yeah, I've felt that way before," Daniel said, finishing off his present beer. "Can I have another? These are pretty good."

Jack handed him another beer.

"Sometimes being there felt good," Daniel admitted after taking a swig. "Must've been that dopamine chemical. Whenever they touched me, I felt good. Whenever I was near them, I felt good. Other than that, I was tired and screaming at myself in my head to try to get away. It was like...well, it was awful. I couldn't make them stop and I couldn't control how I felt."

Jack had been waiting for this. "What was the worst part?"

Daniel took another swallow and glared at the floor. "How I felt, I guess. I ought to be able to control how I feel, right? Well, whenever they were around, I couldn't control my feelings. They just had to be near me and I'd start to feel good. I guess that was the point. They wanted me to like them. I should have been able to ignore them."

"You sound like you think it was all your fault," Jack said.

"Well, I think it might be," Daniel said. "You know, I should have been able to ignore the feelings they cause with their stupid dopamine compound. I should have known they'd try to drug us to get us to do what they wanted. I should have..." He stopped and appeared to be thinking furiously for a moment. "I couldn't. I _couldn't_ fight. I tried all the time, but nothing I did _worked._ Why?"

"I have a theory about that," Jack said, taking the empty bottle from Daniel's limp fingers. "Wanna hear it?"

Daniel nodded, hoping for the reassurance that Jack was about to give him.

"I think that none of the stuff you tried worked because it couldn't work against _them_. You've been trained to resist brainwashing and you held out against Pater just fine, but these Ashah were people who couldn't just _play_ with your head, they could get inside and make you think or do or feel what they wanted. Despite the incredible things you accomplish every day, you're _not_ superhuman, Daniel. No human could fight against beings that can break into your mind and mess with your blood chemistry the way we open a file and use a computer. You never asked them to have Pater adopt you, you never asked them to take you to Ashah, and you never asked them to drug you and force you to do things. If there's anyone to blame in this mess, it's not you. _They're_ the bad guys in this, Daniel, _not_ you. You did the best you could in the circumstances you found yourself. That's commendable in anyone, but in your case, where you'd been _re-kidnapped_ and taken to another _planet_, for crying out loud, well, that's remarkable! The government ought to give you a generous pension and let you retire in glory to the tropical island paradise of your choice."

Daniel laughed. "I'd be bored stupid within a day on an island," he said.

"Well, the government can always pack up the Library of Congress for you, how's that?"

Daniel laughed again, and in the next moment he started sobbing. Jack set aside the beer he was holding and guided Daniel over to the couch, letting the guy cry on his shoulder. "It'll be okay, Daniel. You go ahead and let all that out."

Daniel didn't need to be told twice. He held onto Jack and sobbed, stopping only long enough to take a breath and to accept the tissues that Jack handed him. While he cried, he told Jack everything about his time on Ashah, even the parts he'd sworn never to tell anyone. By the time he was done his head hurt, his nose was stuffed up, and his eyes were red, but he felt more like himself than he had in ages. That was strange since he could swear the room was beginning to slowly rotate around him.

"A little too much beer," Jack said as Daniel started to tilt sideways. "Come on, Danny. Time for bed."

"I want another beer," Daniel said as Jack helped him to his feet. "Where is it? The kitchen?"

"They're upstairs, Daniel."

"Oh. Okay."

Somehow, Jack managed to maneuver him upstairs and into the guest bedroom. With a great deal of timing and footwork, Jack managed to get him to sprawl across the bed rather than the floor. A master danseur couldn't have done better. Jack pulled off Daniel's shoes, socks, and shirt before pulling the covers over him, with Daniel all the while asking where his beer was. Jack sighed and pushed a pillow into his friend's arms. "Here, hold this while I get you your beer."

Daniel took it. "Thanks, Jack."

Jack headed toward the door as if he were really intending to get a beer, but by the time he reached the door he heard Daniel's breathing deepen. He turned to check, but he could tell that Daniel was already asleep and dead to the world. He smiled, turned out the light, and left, heading to lock up the house, switch out the lights, and get to bed himself. Daniel would have a headache in the morning, but he would feel better for getting everything off his chest. Once he was awake and on the outside of a lot of coffee and some good breakfast, he would be ready to talk some more and hopefully begin coming to terms with everything. It was Jack's humble opinion (okay, not so humble) that Mackenzie had nothing on him and a couple beers for getting Daniel to open up.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 25

Amazingly, after the big reunion, life seemed to go back to normal. Well, as normal as it had ever been, in Jack's opinion. Daniel returned to work after their down time and seemed mostly fine, but it was only with his team members that he was completely himself. That was when he let the mask he showed most of the world fall and he shared what he was really thinking and feeling with them. Most of these little episodes happened during their down time, but none of them begrudged Daniel a little emoting. After all, he'd earned it with what he'd been through.

As the weeks passed, Daniel seemed to calm down. His emoting sessions became less frequent and much less severe until the time came when Daniel could make jokes about things that had happened on Ashah that now struck him as funny. More than once he had the whole team in stitches while he described some incident that had perplexed the Ashah but had made perfect sense at the time to the human captives.

There was just one thing that worried Jack and he found himself wondering if he should even bring it up. Daniel seemed fine and like himself, but there were times when it seemed as if…he weren't _quite_ himself. A little difference was to be expected in a person who had experienced something traumatic, but the changes Jack was seeing were not quite what he expected in Daniel. Daniel tended to fret about things and to think about them _a lot_. Either that or he threw himself feverishly into his work to distract himself. Jack wasn't seeing either thing going on. Instead, Daniel seemed like nothing big had happened. He worked normally and didn't seem to be doing any fretting. There were times when he would stop what he was doing for a moment to gaze off into space, and there were times when he got hold of a puzzle and worked on it with all the enjoyment of a sommelier savoring a fine wine, but there were none of the actions that Jack had come to expect.

He had no way of knowing that when he looked at Daniel he was seeing two people at once.

_Jack's worried about something,_ Daniel said when he spotted Jack glancing at him for the fifth time that morning.

_Any thoughts?_

Daniel gazed off into space and thought about it. For some reason, it was easier for him to think that way now that he was sharing his mind. _He could be worried about me. Jack does that a lot._

_What would make him worried?_ the being asked, surprised.

_You're the one who can read minds,_ Daniel reminded him impishly. _You tell me._

_It would be very wrong of me to look in Jack's mind solely for the sake of my curiosity._

_You're not looking solely for your curiosity, you're also looking for my curiosity,_ Daniel pointed out.

_Same difference,_ the being told him. _We'll have to figure it out through observation and deduction._

_Okay, Sherlock._

The being stopped and examined Daniel's mental images. _Sherlock Holmes? What is this?_

_Sherlock Holmes is a fictional consulting detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle during the late Victorian period in England,_ Daniel explained. _Holmes claimed to deduce solutions to problems by examining minutiae, but in reality he used inductive reasoning to draw his conclusions. Most people equate the term "deduction" with "figuring things out." Inductive reasoning starts with specifics and leads toward a general conclusion, like Holmes examining a person's clothes, stature, calluses on his hands and so on to figure out the guy was a sailor._

The being seemed to think about this.

_What surprises me is that you don't already know this, _Daniel said honestly.

_We know it; we just don't have all these names for it,_ the being explained. _To us, thinking is thinking. We've never felt the need to analyze it._

Daniel thought about that and felt himself smile. _I guess we sometimes tend to complicate things. Humans want to have a reason and a name for everything._

_That's because you're an insatiably curious species,_ the being said.

_And your species isn't curious?_ Daniel asked, willing to tease him a little.

_Every species is hard-wired for learning; it's built into their minds, _the being reminded him. _Still, your species thrives on learning new things and having new experiences. You live for discovery. There are a lot of species that enjoy learning, but yours takes the enjoyment to an entirely different level._

_That's part of being human,_ Daniel said cheekily.

_It would have to be,_ the being joked. _As for what's worrying Jack, do you think he could be worried about you for some reason?_

Daniel thought about that. _Should he be? Am I okay?_

_You're fine, but maybe he sees something to worry about. You should ask him and hear what he thinks._

Daniel decided to take his advice before curiosity could eat the both of them alive. "Jack, have I grown another head or something?"

"No, just the two," Jack said seriously. "Why?"

"You keep glancing at me like there's something wrong."

Jack was quiet for a moment. "I was…wondering why you kept staring off into space every now and then. You know, I wouldn't put it past the Ashah to mess with your head in some way."

"Janet didn't find anything when she checked me over, so I guess I'm okay."

"Yeah, but why do you keep staring off into space? You never used to do that."

_How do I answer that?_ Daniel wondered.

"See, you're doing it again!" Jack said, sounding vindicated. "I'm starting think they did something to you. Carter, Teal'c, back me up here!"

All four of them were in the debriefing room, waiting for General Hammond.

"I have noticed Daniel Jackson's periods of staring off into space, but they do not seem to be doing him any harm, O'Neill."

Carter looked at Daniel. "Sir, I really think that Daniel's fine. Janet's checked him over more than once, hasn't she?"

"But it's not normal," Jack insisted. "I mean, it's not normal for him! How do we know if he's really okay? What if something the Ashah did to him didn't leave any signs behind except that staring off into space thing?"

"Well, I feel fine," Daniel assured him. "I haven't felt sick or off or anything, but I promise that if it will make you feel better, I'll go to Janet if I start feeling bad. Okay?"

Jack didn't look happy, but he agreed. "The very instant, got me?"

"Got you," Daniel promised just as the general came in.

"As you were, people," Hammond said as they all started to rise. "I was just on the phone with Washington, SG-1. Apparently someone has suggested to the President that in rescuing Dr. Jackson and the other kidnapees we've lost a potential ally and it's been strongly suggested that we try to re-establish ties with the Ashah. This individual feels that a diplomatic solution would have been more fruitful."

"Washington's full of idiots," Jack said calmly. "What possible benefit could we have from having the Ashah as allies? They want to _breed_ us, General."

"I explained the situation several times, but certain individuals in Washington feel that we could benefit with the Ashah on our side. They said, and I quote, that 'the Ashah clearly have advanced technology that could aid us in our mission to protect homeworld security.'"

"Yeah, and what will the Ashah want in exchange?" Jack demanded. "Stud rights?"

"Yeah, not gonna happen," Daniel said. "General, even if you are forced to follow that ridiculous suggestion, please make sure that I am not on the team that establishes contact."

"It was strongly suggested that you should be the one to lead the liaison team, Dr. Jackson."

Daniel stared at the general in shock before letting out a strangled little chuckle. "Well, if they suggest any more strongly then I'll have to hand in my resignation. There is no force in heaven or on earth that could get me to do that."

"I'll retire!" Jack said. "And Washington knows that when I threaten to retire, bad things happen!"

"I shall join Master Bra'tac," Teal'c said.

"I'll transfer," Sam added.

The general sighed. "I told them that you would react this way, and they told me to convince you by whatever means it took. However, I know when that would be a waste of time. Consider the last twenty minutes the time period I spent trying to convince you before I dismissed you to your regular duties. On the record, I have asked for another meeting tomorrow morning at oh nine hundred to attempt convincing you again. After that, I will begin examining other teams to see which one would be best for this assignment."

"You rock, sir," Jack said, fighting down a grin.

"Let's just hope they don't try to force my hand on this issue," Hammond said. "They could still insist on your having the assignment and there would be no way I could tell them no."

"Well, let us worry about that," Jack said. "We have a couple tricks up our sleeve."

Hammond looked at him and sighed. "That's what I'm afraid of, colonel."

--

_Daniel?_

Daniel rolled over in bed, not wanting to wake up just yet. He was so warm and comfortable...

_Daniel? Daniel, please wake up._

His eyes opened and he rolled over again to stare up at the ceiling. _Is something wrong?_

_I have to leave you for a short while,_ the being said. _I've been called home._

Daniel sat up. _Why? Are you in trouble or something?_

_No, _the being assured him. _I'm just being called home to report. I have to report everything that's happened while I've been with you._

Daniel winced. **_Everything?_**

_I won't go into detail,_ the being promised him. _They won't need to know everything; they just need to know what I've observed while I've been on Earth. Seeing your world as it is through your eyes has given me a much clearer picture of it, and it is that picture they need._

_How long will you be gone?_

The being chuckled, catching Daniel's thoughts. _I'll miss you, too, Daniel. You're a very easy person to become fond of. It will take me about five of your days to go, make my report, and to come back. I don't travel through the Gate and I don't travel like the Ashah, but I will travel as quickly as I can._

_I'm glad,_ Daniel said. _I'll miss you a lot._

_And I, you, Daniel. I'll see you soon._

A sudden shift in his head made the room tilt sideways for a moment but the vertigo passed, leaving him feeling strangely bereft. He tried to speak to the being, but he was truly gone. Sighing, Daniel settled back into bed, hoping that the next five days would pass quickly.

--

_Three days down, two to go,_ Daniel thought as he locked his car and headed up to his apartment. He missed the being a lot--there were times when he wanted to ask a question or could use a bit of advice, and Daniel would start to talk to him, and there would be a moment of surprise as he realized that the being was gone and would not be back for a few more days. He unlocked the door to the apartment, carried his stuff inside, and began to put groceries away.

"Hello, Daniel."

He dropped the jug of orange juice and whipped around, staring in horror at the kitchen doorway. "Wh-what are y-you doing here?" Daniel stammered, backing away and tracking juice all over the floor. "Wh-what do you want?"

"I just wanted to see you, son," Pater said, taking a few steps toward him. "How have you been?"

"Stay away from me!" Daniel shouted, grabbing the phone and hitting Jack's number on speed dial. "You just stay right where you are!"

"I don't even get to give you a hug?"

"Don't even touch me!" Daniel said as Jack picked up the phone. "JACK! It's Pater! He's here!"

Daniel knew what Jack would do: he'd hang up, call the base, and then hotfoot it over to the apartment. Fortunately, Daniel heard the phone hang up and he knew that Jack was on his way.

"Now, is all this fuss really necessary, Daniel?" Pater wanted to know. "I haven't hurt you."

"Just being around you is pain enough," Daniel snapped, keeping a wide margin between himself and Pater. "If you take me, they'll know and they won't waste any time in coming to get me back. Besides, you don't want to piss off a good friend of mine. He won't stand for it, and he and his friends will step in."

It was the right thing to say, and Daniel knew that as soon as he saw Pater's stance change. "He and his friends have no need to concern themselves. I am only here to visit you, and nothing more. The Ashah and I can't wait to have you with us again, Daniel, but be assured that we won't take you until you want to join us."

Daniel let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah. Right. I doubt that will ever happen, so you'll be waiting a long time, you know."

Pater smiled. 'We will see."

Between one instant and the next Daniel saw Pater disappear and heard his front door bang open. He hadn't gotten around to locking it and was glad that he hadn't. Jack ran into the kitchen, slid across the floor thanks to the orange juice, and collided with Daniel hard enough so that they both saw stars.

"Ow," Jack complained from his spot on the floor. "You okay? Where is that interstellar creep?"

"He disappeared right before you crashed in here," Daniel said, carefully getting up. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Jack said, getting up and cringing at the stickiness that covered his shirt. "Hammond and containment and some SFs are on their way. Janet, too, just in case. Pater probably heard me coming and decided to run for his life."

"That's probably it," Daniel said as he heard people coming down the hall. "Here comes the cavalry. You guys got here pretty fast."

"We probably all broke traffic laws into subatomic particles, too. All right, let's go corral the troops and let the Napoleonic powermonger check you over. She'll insist, anyway."

Daniel sighed as he went out into his living room, hoping that none of this would take too long. While he talked to General Hammond and described the incident, he reflected on the possibility of staying on the base. It wouldn't actually be safe from Pater, but he would feel _safer_ at the very least. Jack saved him from having to decide by suggesting his place and as Daniel packed an overnight bag, he hoped that the next two days would pass quickly.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 26

Sam reached Daniel's office to see Colonel O'Neill, Teal'c, and General Hammond all standing in the hallway outside it, staring at the closed door. "Sir? I got your call."

Jack looked at her. "Hi, Carter."

Sam glanced at Daniel's door and winced when she heard the tone of the words coming from behind it. "What's he doing?"

"He's wigging out," Jack said.

"Dr. Jackson was less than amused at the memo I received from Washington this morning. How Washington found out about Pater showing up in his apartment is beyond me, but he really got upset when it was suggested that he should have tried to keep Pater there," General Hammond explained.

"Oooh," Sam said, glancing at Daniel's door. "So, is that what led to this?"

"Daniel read the memo, put it back on the table, calmly walked down here, closed the door to his office, locked it, and he's been in there ever since, cursing in every language he knows. I think he's also throwing things 'cause I keep hearing thumps and bangs."

"Let's just hope he's not packing," General Hammond said. "Major Carter, do you think there's anything you can do with him? He won't open the door to any of us."

Sam's eyebrows shot up. "He won't? That's…disturbing."

"It is worrisome," Teal'c said bleakly.

"Disturbing, worrisome, and it's driving me crazy," Jack added. "We figured that he might listen to you since you're…well…"

Sam nodded. She got it. They were hoping that she could do the "big sister" thing and get him calmed down before he did something rash, like resign. He wasn't in the mood to listen to Jack, Hammond or Teal'c, but he might actually listen to her. Taking her courage firmly in both hands and her teeth, she knocked on his door while the three men slid out of sight. "Daniel? Daniel, can I come in?"

"Go away, Sam. I'm busy."

"Redecorating?" she asked, hoping to cheer him up enough so he'd let her in.

"You don't want to know," he said.

"Actually, I do, so you'd better let me in," she told him, trying to keep a playful edge on her voice. "Come on, I've been cooped up with calculations all day and they're not working out. I need to see a friendly face."

The door opened and Sam reflected that Daniel's face was as far from "friendly" as it could get. "They sent you here to calm me down, didn't they?"

"Who?" Sam asked, feigning surprise.

"Jack, Teal'c, and General Hammond," Daniel said, turning around and going back into the depths of his lab. "They were out there for the longest time, begging me to open the door and talk to them. I didn't feel like talking."

"Then why did you let me in?"

"Because you would be sneaky and go to Janet," Daniel reminded her. "You'd tell her something ridiculous, like I've been working too hard without sleep and she'd come down here, have orderlies break in the door, and drag me off to the infirmary so she could have me confined to bed for the next twenty-four hours. You know, like you did last May?"

Sam felt a blush start. "I didn't really tell her to do that, Daniel. All I said was that I'd noticed you were looking a little tired. That's all."

"What I want to know is why she sees a lack of sleep as tantamount to a life-threatening condition," Daniel muttered, going to his over-crowded desk.

Sam looked around the lab. "Maybe because offworld it could be?" Daniel hadn't been redecorating, he'd been taking things off shelves and emptying out drawers. "Um, tidying up? Cleaning?"

"Packing."

"Oh no, Daniel, you aren't going to let that stupid memo make you give up a job you love, are you?"

"I love this job," Daniel affirmed. "I love every bit of it. I love going through the Gate, I love encountering new cultures and new people, and I love exploring new planets. The things I don't love are idiot politicians who won't let me do my job because of their political ambitions and even stupider politicians who try to tell me how to _do_ my job! Now, those same politicians are trying to get me to damn us all to a virtual enslavement to the Ashah. After all, the Ashah feel we need help. We need them to help us run our lives. In exchange for that, we'll get their technology and their protection. Wonderful, isn't it? How can anybody _not _want to do that?" The sarcasm was practically dripping from Daniel's voice and the fury was enough to make her ears feel scorched. "Did you read that memo? It stated that Washington was disappointed with the fact that I allowed Pater to leave without first trying to open up diplomatic negotiations with him! They wanted me to talk to him about a possible alliance! They actually lectured me about ignoring the best interests of Earth! They said that since I have prior experience with the Ashah, then the possibility of gaining their aid is more likely."

"I see what you mean," Sam said thoughtfully. "They're hoping that the Ashah will be more disposed to give us what the politicians want if it's you doing the asking."

"Yeah, and I'm not going to do that," he said. "Washington can go chase its tail as far as I'm concerned. I'm not doing it. I'll resign first." As if to illustrate his point, he cleared another shelf of books and stacked them on the desk.

"Daniel, what will happen if you resign?"

"I'll go on a dig somewhere," he answered. "Why?"

"Well, do you think Washington will give up if you leave the Stargate program or do you think they'll find some other way to negotiate with the Ashah?"

"It won't matter. I'll have resigned," Daniel said shortly.

"Exactly," Sam said triumphantly. "You'll have resigned. You won't be able to do anything about any future decisions Washington makes."

Daniel froze for a moment and appeared to be thinking very hard. "That isn't fair, Sam."

"Of course it's fair," Sam said. "We _need_ you on our side, Daniel. You're the best chance we have of fending this whole thing off. Do you honestly think I'm not going to do everything I can to get you to stay?"

Daniel glared at her and a moment later a golden brown plush figure flew at her to hit her in the face.

"Hey!" she said, catching the toy sphinx. She'd given it to Daniel the year before as a joke, and he'd kept it in his office within easy reach of the couch. More than once she'd found him napping, using it as a pillow. "Was that really necessary?"

"You deserved it," Daniel said, fighting a smile. "That's practically emotional blackmail, Sam."

She grinned. "Sorry to be unscrupulous, but is it working?"

He sighed and sat down. "It's already worked. If I have any hope of stopping the rank idiocy and the stupidity in Washington, then I can't quit. I have to stay."

"Glad to hear it," Sam said. "Now, let's go tell the guys before they lose it."

Daniel smiled as he got out of his chair. "Actually, let's not. I think seeing them lose it might be fun to see."

She laughed. "Imp. Let's go."

--

"I never realized how beautiful this planet was," Ban said, standing outside and staring around at the hills surrounding the house. "Pater, this spot is ideal."

"That's one of the reasons why I chose it," Pater admitted. "It seemed perfect as soon as I saw it. There's a nice house with plenty of large, airy rooms, spacious grounds, and there's even a lake for swimming and boating. The nearest neighbor is more than five miles away, so there's plenty of peace and quiet. I'm sure they'll all like it."

They went back into the house to look around once again. The rooms were light and open due to the large windows and the few doors in the place. On the first floor were the living room, rec room, dining room, the study and library, the infirmary, and the kitchen. Upstairs were the bedrooms and several lounges. Pater had arranged for the furnishings and everything needed for the house as soon as they'd arrived and they'd spent a few days setting it up and getting everything ready.

The study and library was the jewel of the whole house. There were plenty of books, large sturdy tables to work at, enough computers and equipment that could be used to research almost anything, and a full scientific lab linked the study to the infirmary. That way, if someone were sick in the infirmary, anyone in there could cross the lab and go into the library to fetch a book for the sick person.

The rec room was also very enticing. There were games, puzzles, a video game system, CDs, DVDs, and a large television and music system. It was just the perfect place for a rainy day, and outside there was a tool shed filled with sports equipment, ready and waiting for Pater's "kids."

The only problem they faced now was convincing the "kids" to come here.

"What was Daniel's reaction when he saw you?" Ara asked Pater when they met the older Ashah in the library.

"Fear and shock," Pater admitted. "He backed away from me, dropped something, and called for help as soon as he got his hands on a phone. I left before anyone else could see me, though. I want only Daniel to see me. In that way, he'll be set apart from his friends."

"Do you think they'll begin to doubt that he sees you?"

"If I appear enough times so that only _he_ will see me and if I make sure I'm no longer there by the time _they_ turn to look, then yes. They'll begin to question if his recent experiences have disturbed him in some way and they'll begin to let down their guard against us. They'll start to watch Daniel more instead of paying attention to any possible outside threat."

"That seems wrong, somehow," Lar said, shaking his head. "Making his friends think he's disturbed."

"It will accomplish what we need, Lar," Ban tried to assure him. "Daniel will be better off with us than with the SGC. You know that."

"I'm just hoping the stress he'll go through until he comes here will be worth it. How will we get the others to come here?"

"Dreams," Pater said. "Very strong, vivid dreams. Dreams that will help them see how safe and cared for they'll be here. We might get lucky and they'll bring their families with them, but at any rate, the dreams will be hard to resist. They'll linger during the day, so they'll be hard to forget and difficult to shake off. Eventually, they won't be able to stay away."

"Wonderful," Ban said, smiling. "I can't wait for them to come."

"It will take a while," Pater warned them. "You know from experience how stubborn humans can be."

"Don't remind me," Ara muttered, remembering Daniel's obstinacy. "Let's just hope this all works."

"Oh, it will work," Pater promised. "I've already made sure that a path to Daniel has opened up. You suggested once that Daniel would be more receptive to seeing us again if he had an authority figure encourage him to do so. I've been influencing several authority figures into pressuring Daniel to set up diplomatic ties with us. These authority figures are people he can't refuse, and he has to follow the orders he receives due to the nature of his job."

All of them stared at Pater. "Pater!" Ara said, suddenly feeling much better about the whole situation. "That's very impressive."

Pater smiled. "Thank you, Ara. I think another week or so of this type of pressure will get Daniel to agree, don't you think?"

"Especially if I stop popping in and out once he agrees," Pater added.

More than one of the Ashah were smiling.

--

"I'm not stressed out and I'm not overworked," Daniel was saying patiently from his seat on the infirmary bed. "I know what I saw."

"Daniel, that's the tenth time you've seen Pater this week, but no one else has seen him yet," Janet said, shining a pen light into his eyes to check his vision.

"You know he can disappear and reappear and all of that," Daniel reminded her. "C'mon, Janet, I'm fine. He's just trying to get you all to think I'm nuts or something."

"Better safe than sorry," she retorted, feeling ready to slap him upside the head. He kept insisting he was fine, but she had a strong suspicion that he was trying too hard to convince her. Being kidnapped and held somewhere by people you couldn't fight against was upsetting for anyone, but being kidnapped and held by _aliens_ who could actually go inside your head and muck about with it could be profoundly disturbing. He might be more disturbed than any of them suspected, and she was beginning to think that perhaps it had been imprudent of her to allow Daniel to return to work so soon.

He sighed. Why had Jack chosen today of all days to mention to Janet how jumpy he seemed? He had a million things to do—lots of translations, three reports to write, and a presentation to give later that day—and he wasn't getting any of it done sitting in the infirmary.

The phone rang. "Stay right there," Janet told him, going towards it. "We're not done yet."

Daniel flopped back onto the bed and put a pillow over his face and moaned, as well as muttering a few well-timed curses.

"Dr. Frasier," he heard. "Sir? Yes, sir. Yes, he's right here. Oh, no, sir, just a standard check-up. Yes, general, I'll send him right up as soon as I'm done. Of course."

Daniel lifted the pillow enough so he could peek out at Janet. "Let me guess. General Hammond wants to see me."

"After your exam," she told him, washing her hands, drying them, and pulling on gloves. "Roll up your sleeve."

"You don't need to take blood," Daniel complained as he complied. "I'm fine."

She turned around with a syringe in her hand, an alcohol swab at the ready, and a deadly serious look in her eye. "Humor me."

Daniel held out his arm and winced as he felt the needle. "You know, I think Jack's theory about your being a vampire could be correct."

She glared at him. "I'm trying to _help_ you, Daniel. I'm trying to rule out any medical causes for these repeated visions of yours, but if you want to have to sit through several sessions with Mackenzie to get to the root of the problem, then be my guest."

She turned away with a full tube of blood after pressing a cotton ball against the puncture site.

"I'm sorry, Janet," he said as she turned back with a bandage. "I guess I'm just worried and I'm trying to cover that with humor."

She raised an eyebrow as she covered the cotton ball with the bandage.

"Okay, I'm trying to cover it with _bad_ humor," he conceded. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Daniel. General Hammond would like to see you in his office, but he didn't say why. He sounded pretty grim, though."

"I bet he got another memo from Washington," Daniel said. "Is there anything else we need to do?"

"Not unless you start feeling poorly," Janet said. "Come back if you feel odd, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks. I'd better get up there."

"Good luck."

It didn't take long to get to the general's office, and when he got there he knew it wasn't good. There was a strange man there in dress blues, holding a briefcase and talking with Hammond in polite, clipped, but still condescending tones. His whole demeanor said, "I'm the one who's really in charge here, and we both know it, but we'll pretend it's otherwise." Daniel knocked on the door frame and the cool smile he received from the man confirmed his suspicions. This was an enforcer from Washington who had come to make sure that he received orders and carried them out whether he liked it or not. Since he was a civilian the military machine was limited in what it could do to him, but it wasn't entirely powerless.

"Colonel Mason, this is Dr. Jackson," General Hammond said, waving Daniel inside.

"Good to meet you, Dr. Jackson," Colonel Mason said, grabbing Daniel's hand in an almost-painful grip and pumping it up and down. "I have to say that I've been an admirer of your work for quite some time and I've read every one of your mission reports. Impressive, quite impressive, doctor."

"Thank you," Daniel said calmly as Hammond suggested they all sit down. As Daniel sat he put together what he'd observed about Mason and decided that he wasn't just an enforcer, he was a _good_ enforcer, meaning he got results. He would be merciless in making sure that the people under his eye would do what he wanted them to do. Even being in the same room with him was uncomfortable. He'd hate to think what it would be like if Mason decided to unleash all of his "persuasive" personality. Sickening, like as not. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Straight to business, I like that," Mason said chummily as he opened up the leather briefcase. "General Hammond's report to Washington stated that you had refused to have anything further to do with the Ashah, is that correct, Dr. Jackson?"

"It is correct," Daniel affirmed.

"Even when it was very clearly explained to you that it would be in the best interests of Earth for you to agree to be the acting liaison, am I right?"

Daniel fought against the urge to groan. "Yes."

"Why have you refused this post more than once, Dr. Jackson? One might think that your loyalties are under question."

So that was it. Mason was planning to McCarthy him. Great. "My loyalties are the same as they have always been," Daniel said evenly. "I do not feel that I am necessary in this endeavor to establish ties with the Ashah."

"Why not? According to what I've read, you would be the perfect person for the job. The Ashah know you, they're fond of you, and they would be willing to listen to whatever you had to say. It's been strongly suggested to me that Washington will accept no one else."

Daniel shuddered. "I don't like the Ashah. They did kidnap me and hold me offworld, you know."

"It sounds more like they established first contact and it sounds very much like they chose you," Mason countered. "You should feel honored."

Daniel turned his head to look at Mason, but he stared behind him, seeing Pater. Mason was turned away from Pater, but General Hammond was sitting behind his desk and Pater should have been in plain sight to him. So, either Daniel was going crazy or Pater was somehow hiding from the older man. Great. Pater smiled at him and Daniel looked back at Mason, determined to ignore him. "That's odd. I don't feel honored at all."

"Are you honored to be a part of the Stargate program?"

Uh-oh. "Of course," Daniel said. "Why would I not be?"

"Is it an honor you would like to continue to enjoy?"

"As long as I can," Daniel affirmed.

"Well, the best way to continue to enjoy that honor is to follow orders that need to be followed, Dr. Jackson," Mason told him, smiling. "I'm sure you understand."

Daniel pursed his lips and glared at the floor so he wouldn't start shouting. "Completely."

Mason took out a portfolio from his briefcase and began to flip through it. "Now, according to unofficial reports, you've seen the Pater individual several times, is that correct?"

"Once in my apartment," Daniel admitted.

"And several times around the base," Mason added. "In fact, you've been to the infirmary twice—does today make three?—to see if there was any medical reason why you were seeing him when no one else has spotted him."

Daniel clenched his teeth so he wouldn't open his mouth. Letting this supercilious Mason fellow know exactly what he thought of him would _not_ be helpful. He nodded.

"Glad to know I wasn't getting false reports," Mason said. "Well, Dr. Jackson, your orders are to establish contact with Pater the next time you see him. Tell him your government wishes you to initiate diplomatic ties with the Ashah. He and anyone else he brings with him can be accommodated here on the base, can't they, General Hammond?"

"Of course," Hammond said flatly.

_They can be accommodated in the holding cells,_ Daniel thought impishly.

"Now, here's a dossier on the matter for you, as well as copies of statements from Washington on how important this potential contact is," Mason said, handing him the folder. "Go ahead and keep this, we have copies back in Washington. My contact information is in there as well. Once you've made contact, Dr. Jackson, I expect you to report to General Hammond who in turn will report to me. Any questions?"

Daniel set the folder on Hammond's desk. "No, Colonel Mason. You've been abundantly clear."

"I'm glad. I'll be in touch, Dr. Jackson. General." With a salute, Mason was gone, and Daniel stayed in his seat, trying to stop grinding his teeth.

"I'm sorry, Daniel," Hammond said as soon as he could be sure that Mason was no longer in earshot.

"It's not your fault," Daniel said quickly. "It's the fault of a couple of jackasses in Washington."

Hammond laughed. "Nice to see you haven't lost your sense of humor."

Daniel gave a wry smile. "I figure if I lose that, then I might as well give up. I'd better get back to work."

"All right, son."

Daniel headed back to his office, dropped the folder on his desk, and flopped onto the couch without bothering to take off his boots. He had a headache and he wanted—no, needed—to lie down for a while. Just a few minutes at the very least and then he would get up. He didn't want to go to the infirmary for headache pills since Janet would start to fuss and insist on keeping him there, and he couldn't work in the infirmary. A few minutes lying in the peace and quiet of his office were what he needed.

He didn't know when he fell asleep, but the next thing he knew, he was waking up. He sighed, not wanting to get up but knowing he had to he opened his eyes and started to sit up.

"Awake, sleepyhead?"

Daniel shot to his feet, Pater's arms released him, and he stumbled, managing to just catch himself by grabbing hold of the desk before he could topple to the floor. "Pater! Don't _do_ that!"

"Sorry," Pater apologized. "I didn't mean to frighten you, Daniel. Did you have a nice nap?"

Daniel sank into his desk chair and put a hand over his pounding heart. "Yes, thank you," he said tersely. "I take it you're here to visit?"

"And to…how did that Colonel Mason put it? 'Establish contact and initiate diplomatic ties'?"

Daniel glared at him. "I'm getting the feeling that you have something to do with this," he muttered. "I wouldn't put it past you."

"Nonsense," Pater said lightly. "I'm merely taking advantage of the situation. If you follow your orders I'll get to spend time with you while Mason takes some of the heat off you. We'll both win. Hadn't you better call Hammond?"

Glaring at him, Daniel reached for the phone.


	28. Chapter 28

He was in a nightmare. There was no other description for it. Not only was his kidnapper in the SGC, he had to be welcomed and treated like a potential ally. That meant he had to work on being affable and welcoming when he really wanted to start screaming at Pater and shove him through the Gate to a destination unknown and preferably inhospitable. What was worst, though, was how Pater was _always_ there.

No one in the SGC wanted to be around Pater, but because of his potential ally status, that meant he had to be tolerated and treated like a diplomatic envoy. What that meant was that he had the run of a good part of the base and no one could really tell him to leave. Not until, Washington said, a trade and alliance agreement had been set up. Because he had the run of a lot of the base, that meant he could stop by Daniel's office whenever he wanted. He would stop in every few hours, usually with a meal for the both of them or with just a wish to talk.

Daniel ignored him most of the time and absolutely refused any food he'd brought.

Pater was vastly amused by this. "Daniel, every meal I've brought you comes straight from the commissary. You know that."

"How do I know what you've done to it during the time it takes you to bring it up from the commissary?" Daniel demanded. "Right now, I wouldn't put anything beyond you."

"Don't you think you're being more than a little silly?" Pater wanted to know.

"There's a difference between being silly and being cautious," Daniel informed him, looking over a mission report where the SG team had met a group of people who seemed to communicate only through sign language even though they were able to hear and had full use of their voices. "If I ate that food and you had done something to it, then I would deserve whatever I got."

"You would deserve a nourishing meal?"

Daniel glared at him. 'You can spare me the whole concerned-father act, okay? You and I both know that that's not what you are."

Pater smiled. 'So what am I, Daniel?"

"You're a pain in the neck, and I can think of half-a-dozen other things you are," Daniel said. "But I don't think there's a word I know for what you are."

"That's quite a feat," Pater said. "Given how many words you know."

"Exactly," Daniel snapped. "Look, why don't you go somewhere else and let me get back to work? Just because you're here that doesn't mean you have to spend all your time with me. Go bug someone else."

"I really prefer your company," Pater informed him. "After all, I consider you my de facto child."

"And don't think I don't find that disturbing on countless levels."

Jack, Sam, and Teal'c tried their hardest to make sure that Daniel didn't have to spend very much time alone with Pater, but according to Jack, the man was harder to keep track of than tax dollars. He moved fast wherever he went, but they could usually find him sooner or later if they just went to Daniel's office. Still, when Daniel wasn't in his office, they had no way of knowing where Pater really was.

"Tell me again why he gets to run around the base?" Jack said in a meeting three days after Pater's arrival.

"It's standard trust protocol for any offworld dignitary," Hammond reminded him. "We allow them the freedom to wander around certain parts of the base to show them that we trust them."

"But we don't." Jack rubbed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Washington knows this. They know what happened. Why are they insisting we do this?"

"It's almost like…like they don't want to listen to us," Sam said.

"As if they believe that things will turn out all right despite the fact that these people kidnapped Daniel Jackson and others of the Tau'ri," Teal'c said thoughtfully.

"It's because they don't care," Daniel said. "I've been thinking about this since Pater showed back up and all this stuff started happening. I think Pater got to them. If that's happened, then we can't expect Washington to be rational about this and we're on our own."

Jack put his head down on the table and groaned. "Danny, I think we were on our own in this from the beginning."

"Well, now we're on our own while having to follow insane orders," Daniel reminded him.

Hammond sighed. "Any ideas?"

"Pater's a mind reader. Even if we decide on something to do, he can just look inside our heads and figure out any plans we have. Everything's stacked against us."

Every person at the table stared at him. Jack was the first to talk. "Daniel? Are you okay?"

"Define okay," Daniel said, rubbing the back of his neck. "We're stuck fighting against impossible odds, against something we can't reason with and can't fight, and Washington's insisting we establish an alliance…I'm just dandy."

"Now I know something's wrong," Jack said.

"Daniel, we can't give up," Sam said quickly. "There has to be something we can do about this."

Daniel shook his head. "I can't think of anything. There are times when I wonder if it just wouldn't be easier to…I don't know. Are we done for the time being?"

"Certainly not," Hammond said. "Dr. Jackson, I'm beginning to be concerned about your state of mind."

"Well, I think, given the circumstances, that my state of mind is okay," Daniel assured him. "I'm just…more than a little frustrated."

Hammond nodded. "I see. At least, try to take care of yourself."

Daniel nodded. "Not to worry. I'll be fine. I think we just need to examine the problem from a new angle or something. Could you guys keep Pater occupied for a few hours while I think?"

"Sure thing," Jack said. "Teal'c and I will keep him busy by introducing him to Star Wars. He's bound to be amazed."

Daniel smiled. "Thanks, Jack."

--

Pater couldn't have been more pleased with how things were going. The people in Washington were doing exactly as the Ashah wished and Pater had been if not welcomed, then at least tolerated. He was allowed to wander certain parts of the base, and he was allowed to visit Daniel in his office. That didn't mean, however, that he always respected boundaries. He had visited Daniel's quarters last night while the man slept and spent some time holding him, boosting the amount of the dopamine chemical in his bloodstream. Doing that would make Daniel more amenable to his presence the next time he visited him in his office. Slowly, Daniel would begin to lose his defensiveness and come to accept him. It would take a great deal of work but the Ashah were a patient race, and he was as patient as any of them.

Other things were going well. The Ashah had all managed to locate their "children" and were watching them. At the same time, they were influencing them in subtle ways so they would be more accepting of the Ashah when they became a presence in their lives again. Some of their children were sent dreams on an almost-nightly basis so they could grow used to the Ashah gradually.

Well, while the Ashah were doing that, Pater's job was to work on Daniel and influence him. It would not be easy since the man was more stubborn than any creature that Pater had ever encountered, but he could only last so long. Already Pater had begun to notice signs of stress in the man and he was nearing a breaking point. He was beginning to be vulnerable, and when he was vulnerable, he would be easier to influence.

The only stumbling block in Pater's view was the odd being that had taken up Daniel's cause. What the being was and how it was able to do the things it could do were mysteries to the Ashah, but it was only a matter of time before the Ashah penetrated the mystery and managed to end the being's threat. The being and its kind were intimidating, but the Ashah were not a people to be intimidated for long.

--

After the meeting, Daniel went back to his office and tried to start working on the half-dozen projects he had going, but his nerves wouldn't let him settle to anything. He felt trapped. There was no other way to describe how he was feeling. Trapped. The Ashah had him and he couldn't do anything about the noose he could feel tightening around his neck.

Right now, more than anything, he wanted to talk to the being. He'd never thought he'd be comfortable sharing his mind and physical body with another entity, but he didn't mind it at all. In fact, he welcomed the being's presence and wished it would come back. The being had said that he would be gone five days, and the time was just about up. Three days had passed when Pater showed back up. Then, he'd spent that night at Jack's, and the past two days at the base while enduring Pater's proximity. Shouldn't the being be back by now?

"Daniel, it's long past dinner time," Pater said, causing Daniel's heart to jump into his throat. "Look. I've brought roast chicken."

_Bawk bawk bawk_, Daniel thought. "I'm not really hungry."

"You love roast chicken," Pater protested. "And it's been a really long time since lunch."

"I'm _not_ hungry," Daniel insisted. A moment later his stomach growled and his mouth watered and he was _starving_. "Are you doing that?"

Pater looked at him, confused. "Doing what?"

"Making me hungry."

Pater actually looked surprised. "I think it's all you, Daniel."

Daniel was so hungry it was almost painful. What was going on?

_I've already checked the food, Daniel,_ he heard. _It's perfectly fine and he's right—you love roast chicken._

_Oh, thank God you're back,_ Daniel said, feeling relief flood through him. Quickly he described everything that had been going on and was more than relieved when he felt the being's rush of indignation.

_We're going to have to do something about this,_ the being said. _In the meantime, let's let Pater think you're giving in. Let's get his hopes up. C'mon, it'll be fun. Besides, I've never tasted roast chicken._

Daniel fought down a smile. _I like the way you think. Okay, prepare yourself for roast chicken._

"You're welcome," Pater said as he took a seat. "You see? I'm not a villain, Daniel."

Daniel tried not to snort as he lifted the cover of the tray. Under the cover was a large plate filled with roast chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet peas, and dinner rolls. Next to that was a saucer full of chocolate walnut cookies and a bottle of fruit juice. His mouth watered even more and he had to swallow as he picked up a leg of chicken. "The less said about your actual status, Pater, the better."

Pater smiled. "You should know by now that I only have your best interests at heart, Daniel."

"I won't dignify that with a response," Daniel said as he took a bite.

_Mmmm,_ the being said. _Oh, now I see why you like roast chicken._

_I know. Isn't it great? The first meal I had on Abydos tasted like roast chicken._

The being chuckled. _A giant lizard tasted like roast chicken?_

_Well, they _had _roasted it._

"It's good to see you smile," Pater said, watching Daniel dig in. "You've been looking stressed lately."

Daniel swallowed to clear his mouth. "Hmmm. I wonder why. Maybe it could be because my kidnapper is staying on the base where I work, or maybe it could be because the people in Washington are ordering me to tolerate it. Do you think…that could possibly have anything to do with it?"

"There's no reason for you to see this as something bad, Daniel," Pater said. "You could see it as something positive."

Daniel laughed and nearly choked. "Yeah, right. Not even severe head trauma could get me to see this situation as something positive."

Pater smiled and shook his head. "Eventually you'll see things our way, Daniel. Then all this conflict you're feeling won't be tying you up in knots."

Daniel said nothing and continued with his meal.

_He's sure optimistic, isn't he?_ the being asked, turning his attention away from the chicken for the time being.

_Oh, yeah,_ Daniel affirmed. _He's impervious to change, I think. He's so convinced he's right that he's not willing to listen._

_That's the beginning of pride, and pride always leads to a downfall._

_You gotta love it when things work out that way,_ Daniel said.

_Exactly. When someone is convinced he's right, he forgets that he might make a mistake._

Daniel started on the mashed potatoes and gravy. _What kind of mistakes will he make? It will help if we know what to watch for so we can start taking advantage of the situation._

_He's already made some,_ the being said. _He underestimates you, and he has not taken my presence into account. He thinks that he and the Ashah are prepared against anything I could do. They think that eventually they will neutralize any threat that I pose._

_Can I ask you something?_ Daniel asked, taking a sip of juice.

_Of course._

_What do your people get out of helping us against the Ashah?_

A wave of amusement flooded through him. _Daniel, if you do not know why, then you are truly oblivious to all of your better qualities. Humans are capable of a great number of things, both horrifying and truly great. It is well worth helping you in order to see those great things come to fruition._

Daniel considered this. _What if you help us now and we end up doing the horrifying things?_

_Each race must fulfill its own destiny, no matter how we view it, whether good or bad, _the being told him. _It is not right for any race to limit or direct another race's development. How can that first race know what is good or bad in the long run?_

_I like the way you think._

"You look like you're enjoying that," Pater said.

"It's good," Daniel said. "I should ask the commissary if they could serve it more often. Did you come to my office just to bring me dinner, or did you have another reason?"

"Just to spend time with you," Pater said. "You're always so busy, you and I haven't had much chance to really talk."

"What did you want to talk about?"

"About the choices open to you now," Pater said. "Daniel, I want to offer you something."

Daniel looked at him, more than a little worried. "What is it?"

"I will promise not to use the dopamine compound if you will agree to spend at least one hour in my company a day."

Daniel fought the urge to laugh. "Didn't we try this before?"

"I have a feeling that this time it will be effective," Pater persisted. "Here, we're on your turf, so to speak. You are surrounded by friends and people you know, you're in a familiar place, and you can walk away from me any time you wish. Perhaps with these options open to you, you'll be a little more disposed to have an open mind toward me, rather than devoting all of your energies to resistance."

"My energies are still devoted to resistance," Daniel said. "Just because I've been ordered to help establish an alliance with your people, that doesn't mean that I trust you, and it doesn't mean that I'll listen to what you say. I won't believe anything you try to tell me when you try to say that everything you've been doing is for my own good. You'll be wasting your time."

"Daniel, my people have devoted quite a bit of study to humans. We know how you function. Eventually, you'll come to accept what I tell you."

Daniel finished eating and put the tray aside. "It is late, and I am tired. I will see you in the morning."

For a moment, the tone of his voice, the expression on his face, and the way he held himself reminded Pater of the being, but in the next moment, all he saw was Daniel. "Of course. Sleep well, Daniel."

"Thanks," Daniel said, covering the tray. "Not to sound ungracious, but I hope you have nightmares."

"Will you think about my offer?"

"I don't need to," Daniel said. "The answer's no, Pater. I know that my people cannot benefit in any way from this alliance, despite all your claims to the contrary. I've been ordered to secure this alliance, and I'll follow my orders, but even if it had been ordered, I would never trust you for any reason. I hope you understand that now."

"Well, that's abundantly clear."

"Good."

Daniel left, leaving Pater to his own thoughts.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 28

Pater had finished giving his report several minutes ago, but the rest of the Ashah were still sitting there in shock and thinking very hard.

"You've spent all this time with him but nothing you do seems to have a positive effect at all?" Ban said in disbelief. "Are you certain?"

"Very certain," Pater said, sounding tired. "Nothing I've tried seems effective, and I've noticed no change whatsoever in him since I've been on the base. It's as if he's become immune to my proximity."

Lar cringed. "And he never gets near enough to you for you to touch him, is that correct?"

"As soon as I begin to get close, he shies away. The other day he actually _ran_ when I reached out to give him a hug. It's as if he knows everything I'm going to do before I do it and he finds ways to thwart me. It's almost as if he's reading _my_ mind, and I know that humans can't do that."

Ara considered this. "Where does Daniel spend most of his time?"

"In his office working," Pater said promptly. "Other times, though, I have to search for him before I find him. Lately he's been taking refuge either with Jack or in unused rooms. He's become quite adept at hiding from me."

The discussion that followed this became increasingly concerned. All of the advantages that Pater had pointed out to Daniel about being on his "home turf" were beginning to work against them. Daniel had too many ways to escape them at the base. Far, far too many. He had almost constant reminders of himself to counteract the foggy-headedness they were trying to induce, and he had too many places he could legitimately be in order to avoid Pater. This was taking too long. Trust was all very well and good, but they were working against time with the people in Washington. Sooner or later someone would notice that the ones they'd influenced were not acting quite like themselves and questions would begin. After that, it was only a matter of time before all of their plans came tumbling down.

"If only Daniel were not one of our leads," Ban muttered. "It would be so much easier to do this without him, but unfortunately his DNA is essential."

"He once made that shocking accusation that we would use his genetic material to create offspring without his permission," Lar said. "If we could do that, it would save so much trouble…"

"But it wouldn't be right," Ban told him. "We should get him to agree with us before we helped create the offspring."

Ara shook his head. "You make it sound so easy."

Quietly, all of them considered their problem and tried to think of solutions. Still, despite all their study of humans, they had no idea what to do next that would be effective.

"I think there is only one solution," Pater told them after several minutes of brainstorming.

"What is it?"

"Isolation," Pater said succinctly. "He will have to become completely dependent upon us for every need. When a human is cut off from his familiar environment and companions and kept somewhere with no way of getting away, no avenue of communication with others, and his caretakers are the only people he sees, he begins to appreciate the fact that they _are_ taking care of him, instead of just locking him up to suffer or killing him. He begins to bond with his captors rather than maintaining his hatred of them."

"You mean take him somewhere else?" Ara said. "Keep him there? We won't take any of the others?"

"I think we might have made a mistake in taking all of them at once. They were prone to turning to one another for comfort and support. If we work on them one at a time, then they will be dependent on us for companionship and affection, which humans can't live without. Once they begin to accept expressions of affection from us, they will bond with us."

The rest of them thought about this. They'd all learned as much as they could about humans but Pater was the one who could actually _think_ like one since he was half-human.

"Where will we take him?" Ara asked.

"It would be best if we took him somewhere on Earth," Pater suggested. "Perhaps one of our houses in Europe. The SGC will not think to look for us on Earth and even if Daniel managed to get away from us, he would have a hard time getting home."

"It sounds like a good idea," Ban said. "When should we do all this?"

Pater smiled. "I'll arrange to have the house in the Alps opened. That shouldn't take any more than a week. With winter coming on, it will be about six months before any humans are able to travel up there. Anyone trying to travel away from it will find the journey almost impossible. Six months will be ample time to get Daniel to bond with us."

"So the house will be ready for us in a week?" Lar said, surprised. "That short of a time?"

"There are services here on Earth that will do such tasks for a fee," Pater explained. "In the meantime, I will have another service procure the needed items for our and Daniel's comfort. That will take about the same span of time, and the service agencies will find it difficult to perform their work if they are scheduled together, so I'll arrange the second agency to use the week after for their work. Two weeks, and we will be ready to go."

--

_Your rook can't move that way,_ Daniel said two weeks later, watching the piece move along the board. He and the being were deep in a chess game but the being was having more than a little trouble with the rules.

_It's my rook,_ the being said obstinately.

_It doesn't matter whose it is, all rooks move the same way._

_And this game is actually fun?_

_It is if it's played the right way._

_It would be more fun for me if I could just see your moves,_ the being said testily.

_That would be cheating. Besides, you yourself taught me how to hide my thoughts and intentions so someone reading my mind would only see what I wanted them to see._

The being chuckled, his darker humor vanished. _So, the pupil succeeds, and the teacher is pleased and proud. Well done, Daniel!_

_Thank you,_ Daniel said sincerely. _I had an excellent teacher._

"_There_ you are," Jack said as he came into the empty room, but then he spotted the chess board. "You came all the way down here just to play chess with yourself? Daniel, are you okay?"

"Just fine," Daniel assured him. "I came down here to get away from Pater, really."

"Ah, now it makes sense," Jack said. "You want some lunch? I was just headed that way, and I figured that Pater wouldn't try to sit with you in the commissary if you already had someone with you."

_Lunch?_ the being said hopefully. _Do you think there's roast chicken?_

Daniel's stomach growled. "Yeah, I could do lunch."

It took only five minutes to get up to the commissary, where they joined the line of people waiting to get food. There were two entrees to choose from that day: chicken broccoli cheddar casserole or hot ham and cheese sandwiches. Needless to say, both men wanted both.

"I love it when they start making comfort food," Jack said, settling into his seat.

"I love the fact that they're making so much of what I like," Daniel said happily as he dug into his casserole.

_Mmmm. This is almost as good as roast chicken,_ the being said, savoring the taste.

No one said anything for a few minutes while they ate, enjoying their meals. It wasn't until they were almost done with their main courses that Jack spoke up. "The general's been having Pater watched, as I'm sure you've already guessed," he said. "He wanted me to tell you that this morning he disappeared from his room. That's the first time he's ever done that. Any thoughts about where he might have gone?"

Daniel took a quick drink. "Maybe. I have a strong feeling that he may have gone to talk to the other Ashah. They might be here on Earth somewhere, waiting and watching."

"Creepy," Jack said thoughtfully. "You know, there are laws against stalking in America. Do you think we could get them…I dunno, sent back home if they're stalking you?"

Daniel laughed. "It's kind of hard to prove, Jack. Besides, where would we find a judge with the proper security clearance?"

"Who says we need a judge?" Jack wanted to know, suddenly so serious that it was comical. "We've got George Hammond on our side. He's enough to put the fear of God into anybody."

Daniel chuckled and took a sip of his drink. "He's not Superman, Jack."

"Who said anything about Superman?" Jack wanted to know. "I'm talking about George Hammond."

The joking kept up until both their plates were empty and they were more than ready to go back to work.

"So, Daniel, do you think Pater's back yet?" Jack asked.

Daniel coughed. "I really don't care, Jack. Maybe with him gone, I can get some work done around here. I'm looking at this time as a blessing."

"What kills me is that he's going to have to explain his little disappearing act to the general and the head of security," Jack said, sounding positively gleeful. "This is going to wreak havoc on this alliance he's claiming to want. After all, if a potential ally disappears off a secure base, how do we know we can trust him?"

"We already know we can't," Daniel reminded him.

"Oh, yeah." Jack put his hands into his pockets and grinned. "How long do you think the general will let him stay before he throws him out?"

"Probably not even a microsecond," Daniel said as they reached his office.

Jack laughed. "Probably a little less than a microsecond, but not much more than that. You want some company?"

"Actually, I have work I want to finish, but you're welcome to come in for a while if you want."

Jack cringed. "And listen to you mutter under your breath about languages and dynasties and all of that? No, thank you. However, I will come back for you around suppertime."

Daniel looked at him. "Why? So eager for supper?"

"No, you deserve a night out," Jack informed him. "Dinner out and a movie at my place and you can crash in the guest room afterwards. The general's already given his okay, and he thinks it would be a good idea to get you to relax a little."

Daniel thought about this. "Has it been that obvious that I'm stressed?"

"Danny, it's glaringly obvious," Jack told him. "Even _I've_ noticed."

Daniel had to laugh at that. "Okay. I'll go out tonight. What time?"

Jack grinned. "All righty. I'll stop by around six, so be ready by then, okay?"

"Can't wait."

_Is dinner out a fun thing? _the being asked.

_Usually,_ Daniel told him. _You go to a restaurant, look at a menu of available choices, order a meal, and someone brings it to you. No need for cooking or doing dishes. The food's always really good, too._ From the silence that followed, Daniel figured the being had to be thinking about this.

_And the movie? Will it be fun?_

_Jack has some pretty good movies,_ Daniel promised him. _We'll pick a good one and you'll get to see a movie for yourself._

_I think I'm beginning to like it here, _the being said.

Daniel laughed as he took out a few folders of work. _You like it here on Earth or you like being in my head?_

The being laughed. _Both, really. Before I made overt contact with you I could only experience everything only after you had experienced it, and then I was only experiencing a memory of it. Now that I'm in contact with you I can experience things as you experience with them and that is much, much more interesting. I get to have fun whenever you have fun!_

Daniel sighed, realizing what the being was too polite to say. _And we haven't had much fun, have we?_

_Being in your mind is actually pretty fun,_ the being offered. _You think in such a unique way._

_Um...thank you?_

_You're welcome, _the being said, laughing.

Daniel settled down to work then, taking out photos of the odd device that they'd brought back from the last mission he'd had with SG-1. The markings looked proto-Sintaic (or as some people called them, proto-Sintic) in origin, but beyond that he couldn't figure anything out about the object. As Sam had said, it seemed like a decorative paperweight. He looked at the pictures until he was sure he would see the symbols even if his eyes were closed before setting them aside and thinking. _Wasn't our last mission where we met you?_

_Yes, _the being admitted. _But I won't tell you what the symbols mean._

_Oh, come on!_ Daniel pleaded. _That's so unfair!_

_**No**, Daniel,_ the being said firmly. _Even if I wanted to tell you, I couldn't. The Council forbade me. They said that humans always learn from the problems they solve._

_This thing will cause me headaches, _Daniel threatened. _Excruciating ones._

_I can deal with the pain, _the being said laconically. _I'm not telling you, Daniel._

_All right, I'll let it go...for now._

_Just as long as you do._

Daniel glanced at his watch and then glanced back in shock. _I can't believe I was working that long! It's five-thirty!_

_You'd better get ready, _the being said as Daniel hopped off his stool and scooted out of his office.

Daniel ran to the locker room, showered, changed into civilian clothes, and then hurried back to his office to put all of his papers away. He was just finishing up when Jack walked in, already dressed and ready to go.

"Any ideas on where you'd like to go?" he said, twirling his car keys on a finger.

"Um...I haven't thought about it," Daniel admitted. "I've been working."

Jack shook his head and smiled. "Why does that not surprise me? Okay. Let's get outta here and we'll decide on the way."

Once they were in the car, Jack ran a few choices past Daniel and he eagerly chose a steak house (_not _O'Malley's) as the place he'd like to go.

"I hope they haven't sold out of prime rib yet," Jack said. "My mouth's watering."

"Mine, too," Daniel said enthusiastically.

_Interesting sensation,_ the being said. _Very interesting._

Daniel heard the blinker go on as Jack prepared to move into the next lane. A moment later there was a deafening crash and then blackness.

--

Sam and Teal'c got out of her car and entered the emergency room at a run. When the medical assistant saw the two of them bearing down on her counter a frightened look grew in her eyes and she actually backed up.

"Jack O'Neill," Sam said, her voice only a few degrees from panic. "He was in a car accident."

She told them where he was and sat back down with a sigh of relief. She never, ever wanted that big guy with the hat to be mad at her. She returned to what she was doing but got another shock when two _more_ people charged up to her counter: a petite red head with a look of death in her eyes and an older bald man who was ashen. They asked for the same guy, and she sent them to the same place. This Jack O'Neill was a pretty popular guy.

"How is he, Major Carter?" Hammond said as they reached Jack's side on the ward.

"Barely awake, sir," she reported. "A nurse stopped by just before you got here to say they're going to be moving him to a room."

"I'll take care of that," he said, and he returned to the front desk.

Janet started to check Jack over. "Colonel? Colonel, can you hear me?"

For once, Jack's eyes seemed to focus. "Doc?" He blinked, clearly disoriented. "What happened?"

"According to what paramedics reported, you were in a bad car accident. How do you feel?"

"Terrible. How's Daniel?"

Sam, Teal'c, and Janet all looked at each other. "Daniel?" Janet said, surprised. "Colonel, you were the only one the ambulance brought in."

"Daniel was with me," Jack insisted, trying to sit up. Hands--all six hands of the concerned people at his bedside--clamped onto his chest, arms, and shoulders to keep him in the pillows where he belonged. "We were going out to dinner together and then we were heading back to my place to watch a movie. He was staying at my place tonight."

"I've arranged to have Colonel O'Neill transferred to the Air Force hospital," Hammond said as he came back in, but then he saw their expressions. "What is it?"

"The colonel says that Daniel was with him in the car when they were in the accident," Sam reported.

"Oh, no," Hammond said, grasping the implications immediately. "All right, let's all of us get back to the base and get to the bottom of this."

"Sir?" Jack said, looking at his CO blearily. "Could I be transferred to the infirmary instead of the hospital? Please? I'd like to be on the base until I can get around again."

"That shouldn't be a problem, colonel. All right, people. Let's go."


	30. Chapter 30

He hurt. He couldn't remember how he got this way, but he could remember the sounds of a crash, so maybe that was what had caused the pain. His entire body hurt, breathing was painful, and getting up and looking around to learn where he was was out of the question. He couldn't really see anything anyway, aside from the gray color surrounding him and he could hear nothing. Where was he? How had he gotten here? He and Jack had been headed to a restaurant to have dinner and then they were supposed to go to Jack's for a movie and to hang out, but this place did not look like Jack's house. No, this was as far from Jack's house as you could get. Was it a hospital? It was quiet, he was in bed, and he hurt, so maybe it was a hospital.

The sound of a door opening made him turn his head, but the pain of that movement made him wince. That had _hurt_! Was there any part of his body that _didn't_ hurt? He heard someone enter the room and approach his bed, but the light was too dim for him to see who it was.

"How are you feeling, Daniel?"

Ignoring the pain, Daniel shifted his head toward the voice and glared up at him. "I hurt, Ara. Where are we?"

"We're somewhere safe, Daniel," Ara told him. "Would you like something for the pain?"

"No," Daniel said shortly. "How did I get here?"

Ara considered the question. "We brought you here. It's safe here, Daniel."

"I don't care if this is Fort Knox or Lloyd's of London," Daniel said rudely. "I want to go home."

Ara smiled. "You're free to go any time you wish, Daniel. All you have to do is get up and walk out."

Daniel fought to sit up but the pain made him cry out and drop back into the pillows behind him.

"It looks like you'll have to wait, you stubborn child," Ara said. "We've healed you up as much as we could, but you were hurt very badly. You'll have to wait. In the meantime, we'll take care of you."

The words _hurt very badly_ registered and Daniel felt a cold, sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. "What about Jack? He was in the car with me."

"Colonel O'Neill was taken to a hospital, but none of us were concerned with him. I'm sure he'll be fine, though."

"That's not comforting," Daniel ground out, trying to ignore his pounding head. The pain made him wince again and he hoped that Ara had not seen.

"Are you hungry?" Ara asked. "Thirsty?"

Daniel ignored the questions. "If you brought me here, you can take me home," he said. "I want to go home."

"We will not take you," Ara told him. "You belong here with us. However, if you wished to leave, we would not stop you. In time, you will not wish to leave."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Daniel muttered.

"You will not heal if you do not eat," Ara told him firmly. "I will bring you a meal and some medicine, and you and I will talk, all right?"

"Is 'no' an option?" Daniel wanted to know, but Ara was already on his way out of the room.

He wasn't gone for long. The tray of food must have been ready for him since Ara was only gone about five minutes before he returned. There was soup, a few slices of bread, and a tall glass of juice waiting, and Ara placed it on a tray-table and wheeled it over so he could reach it.

"Is this place a hospital?" Daniel asked.

"It is one of our houses," Ara explained. "It is in the country, so it is very quiet."

"I'd noticed," Daniel said dryly. His stomach growled, so he reached for the tray but pain shooting up his arms made him stop. "What happened to me in the wreck?"

"The other car hit the passenger side at a high speed," Ara explained as he stirred the soup with the spoon, filled the spoon, and held it out to Daniel. "We've been keeping an eye on you to make sure you were safe, but we never expected you to be in an accident like that. You were lucky you weren't killed."

Daniel eyed the full spoon. "I can feed myself, Ara."

"No, you can't," Ara pointed out with so much logic that Daniel wanted to hit him. "You can hardly move without pain. I will help you eat. Understood?"

"I guess I have no choice," Daniel said tiredly. "All right."

He managed most of the soup, a half-slice of bread, and some of the juice. He was about to ignore Ara and try to go to sleep when Ara held out a small dosage cup half-full of a light blue liquid. "This, too, Daniel."

"What is it?" Daniel demanded, eyeing it with trepidation. He had still not forgotten Pater's wretched 'tonic.'

"It is medicine," Ara assured him. "Just medicine. It's to help with the pain and to help you sleep. You need sleep to heal."

"If you think I'm stupid enough to take anything you give me," Daniel began, but Ara was too fast for him. Within a second the stuff had been poured into his mouth and the viscous liquid had run down his throat. Some reflex kept him swallowing to keep him from choking on it, and he shuddered at the taste. "Yeccchh! What was _in_ that?"

"Analgesics, mostly," Ara said. "You'll feel better soon."

"You said 'mostly,'" Daniel said. "What else was in it?"

"Something to help you sleep. Don't worry. Sleep is what you need." With that, Ara left, closing the door behind him.

Daniel lay there in the semi-darkness, wishing with all of his might that he could get up and walk out. He'd walk all the way back home if he had to; he just didn't want to stay in this place for another minute. Would the being have any ideas? _Being?_ Daniel waited, but there was no answer. That was unusual. _Being? Being?_

_Calm down, Daniel, _he told himself. _Maybe he's asleep. Then again, he's never been asleep before. At least, I don't think so._ He waited, but there was no answer. Trying to quell rising panic he closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, hoping to quiet his thoughts and hear the being. Had the wreck done something to his head? _Being?_ No answer. Oh, no. What if he was alone here?

He refused to think about that. He tried again, hoping for an answer, but ten minutes later he had to admit to himself that the being was not answering. He might have decided not to answer (although why that could be was beyond him), he might be sleeping (although he'd never done that before), or he might have left. Where would he go, though? Home to report again?

By that point, the medicine started to take effect, so Daniel settled into the pillows behind him and closed his eyes. Maybe he would feel better if he got some sleep. When he woke up, hopefully he would be able to figure out a way to get out of here, and hopefully, the being would be back.

--

"How much longer, Doc?" Jack demanded from his hospital bed.

"Until you're _well_, Colonel," Janet said shortly.

Jack scowled and crossed his arms before muttering, "Napoleonic—"

"Powermonger, I know," she said. "You forgot tyrant, Attila the Hun, and Patton."

Jack actually chuckled. "Thanks, Doc."

"No problem. So far, everything looks good. You're healing pretty well, so I'd say a few more weeks and you'll be ready to go."

"Weeks?" Jack complained.

"Two rather than three," Janet assured him.

Jack glared at the blanket, muttering.

--

_Daniel? Daniel?_

There was no answer.

_Daniel?_

No answer.

_Daniel, can't you hear me?_

No answer.

This was bad. This was awful. Why couldn't Daniel hear him? Carefully, the being checked over Daniel's body, wincing at the contusions he found. They were almost healed, but why was there so much pain? He looked closely at all of the peripheral nerves, the spinal cord, and the thalamus in the brain, and all of them were in a constant state of registering pain. That amount of pain would be almost unbearable. If Daniel was mostly healed, then why was the pain at that level? Cautiously, he cast his mind out, listening to Daniel's surroundings and retreated when he heard the thoughts of the Ashah and Pater. They had taken Daniel once again, but this time, they were holding him somewhere on Earth, the being was sure of that. The magnetic fields the planet generated were different from Ashah. Knowing where he was, though, did not solve his current problem. Exactly where on the planet were they, how had Daniel come to be hurt, and why couldn't Daniel hear him?

The last was the most distressing. He'd come to care for the archeologist. He was a man who kept his mind open, a man who was curious about the universe and trusted others when it was most needful to trust them. That trust had often saved him, those he loved, and his home. He had deep and passionate sensibilities and he was a man of high morals. Each conversation with him was a joy and he could tell that Daniel felt reassured by his presence. Now, when Daniel most needed that reassurance, he was unable to give it. It was maddening. The being looked at Daniel's physical brain, hoping that there'd been no serious injury. There were signs, however, of a healing concussion, and the impact of the concussion had slightly injured most of the neurons that he usually used to communicate with Daniel. Wonderful. It had taken him all of Daniel's first captivity and most of the second to establish those pathways from Daniel's subconcious to his conscious mind, and he had a strong feeling that Daniel's brain would not appreciate a second set of pathways being made while it was still healing from concussion. Doing so would cause Daniel even more pain, and there was the risk of brain damage, which was a risk he wasn't willing to take. At least there was one small mercy: the defense mechanisms against the Ashah's intrusion and dopamine compound were still in place. Thank goodness.

What were his options? He could leave Daniel's mind, stay with him, and try to help him through this latest ordeal that way, but that seemed like putting a tiny bandage on a gaping wound. The problem needed a solution, not a patchwork job. His other choice was Daniel's mind and travel to his home planet and report this latest development and ask for help. The Ashah weren't just an annoyance to humanity, they were now a threat to their development, and his people had told him to report if they persisted. This counted as persistence. It was _dangerous_ persistence since the Ashah had caused bodily harm to not only Daniel but to Colonel O'Neill as well. If they were so determined to accomplish their ends that they hurt others in order to achieve them, then they needed to be stopped. He was reluctant to leave Daniel alone, but it couldn't be helped. He had to return home. It would be five days before he could return and he was very afraid of what could happen in those five days.

Wait a moment. There was a faster way to his home! He could travel through the Stargate! All he had to do was travel to the SGC and go through the Gate. He would be home instantly and he could report the situation that very day. Reassured, the being left Daniel's mind and body and hovered by his bed, looking down at the sleeping man. He wished he could leave some sort of message that would tell him everything would be all right, but he had to settle for speech. Perhaps Daniel would hear it in his dreams.

_Do not worry, Daniel,_ he told him. _I won't leave you for long. I am going to travel to my home and make sure that the Ashah will not bother you again. All you have to do is heal and rest and remember that you are stronger than they. I will come back soon. Take care, youngling._

His message delivered, the being left the room and then the house, hurrying toward the SGC.

--

"Colonel, shouldn't you be in the infirmary?" Sam asked as Jack hobbled into her office.

"I'm on the lam," he told her. "And it is an order that you deny all knowledge of my whereabouts should Dr. Powermonger call you, understood?"

"Understood, sir," she said, turning back to her computer. "How are you feeling?"

"I ache everywhere," he admitted. "My bruises have bruises. I'm lucky that nothing was broken."

Sam nodded. He was extremely lucky.

"The one thing that annoyed me the most about the infirmary was that nobody would tell me anything," Jack complained as he found a seat and sank into it, making a face as several muscles gave twinges. "Ouch. They kept offering me magazines and Jell-o. I like Jell-o as well as the next man, but five cups of it in one day is a little much. And the nurses don't fuss over me enough to make it worth staying in bed."

"Sounds like you were going nuts down there."

"Nuts, sprinkles, cherries, and banana splits," Jack told her seriously. "So, report."

She blinked. "Sir?"

"Tell me what's been going on," he said patiently. "Has Pater resurfaced?"

"Not hide nor hair of him," Sam said, sounding frustrated. "We've got people searching for him, but so far he hasn't been found. Washington seems to have forgotten all about that alliance they wanted, and most of the people who were insisting on it are now undergoing medical tests due to the general's strong suggestion that they do."

"How'd he pull that off?"

"He called the President and told him that they might have been the victims of a foothold situation," Sam admitted. "According to what the general said, the President almost had an apoplectic fit, called his doctor, and then insisted everyone else do the same."

He threw back his head and laughed, stopping only when his midsection pained him, reminding him that he was injured. "I would have loved to have seen that. Heck, I'd have loved to have heard it!"

Sam's phone rang, and Jack shut up as she lifted the handset. "Major Carter."

"Hi, Sam, this is Janet. Is Colonel O'Neill there with you?"

Sam looked at O'Neill and saw that he was mouthing the word _orders_. The look in his eyes threated demotion if she did not comply, so hastily she told Janet that she hadn't seen the colonel.

"If you see him, will you tell him that he needs to return here ASAP? It's only been a week and a half and I don't want him up and around. Just walking must be painful."

"I'll tell him," Sam promised. She hung up, relayed the message, and waited for her CO to start complaining.

"I'll go back when I'm good and ready to," he muttered crossly. "I've got things to do."

Sam did not bother asking "Like what?" That kind of question would get her into trouble faster than...well, than a few other things she could think up.

"So, has the general received any more orders from Washington?"

"Only to get to the bottom of the possible foothold situation and resolve it," Sam said. "He has to call with daily reports."

Jack winced. "I'd hate to see that phone bill."

"Washington's footing it, sir."

"Oh, good," Jack said, smiling nastily. "Have you seen Teal'c?"

"He's with the Prometheus right now, looking for Daniel on the Ashah's homeworld," Sam said. "I'd be there too, but General Hammond wanted me to go over the computers we found in Pater's first house. He has a feeling that there might be something in there that would help us figure out a way to take care of the Ashah."

"I hope so," Jack said. "I hope you find something that will cause them a great deal of inconvenience and possibly humiliation."

Sam fought down a smile. Jack O'Neill did not forgive others easily, especially when his friends were hurt. A strange look suddenly took over his face, surprising her. "Sir? Are you all right?"

He looked at her and for a moment he did not look like himself at all. "I'm in pain. I think I'm going to return to the infirmary, Major Carter."

What was this? "I think you'd better," she said. "You sound...well, not like yourself."

He nodded, got up from his chair, and left her office. Once she was sure he was out of hearing range she picked up the phone and called Janet to let her know that the colonel was on his way down. Janet thanked her gratefully, asked how long he might be, and then hung up, sounding as if the colonel would not set foot on the floor again until the last of his bruises had faded. That was why Sam was so surprised when Janet called ten minutes later.

"Sam, you did say that Colonel O'Neill was on his way down, right?"

"Yeah," Sam agreed. "Why?"

"He hasn't shown up yet. I've got orderlies looking for him, but so far they haven't found him."

Sirens went off, startling her, and she shouted into the phone, "Send those orderlies to the Gate room! I'll meet them there!"

--

_The One bless,_ the being said as he reached his goal. _The SGC at last._

It had not been an easy journey. He'd never thought that he was injured as well from the crash, but he found out that he was when his energy suddenly flagged and he'd had to stop to rest. Resting took up so much time, and it was time that he did not want to waste. Still, he couldn't avoid it, so when he could he rested on vehicles that were moving in the right direction. He was certain that the pilots and drivers of those vehicles had never suspected that they had an unauthorized passenger! Riding in the vehicles was slow, and there were times when the vehicles did not travel quickly, when they stopped, or they took detours. All of that took up time. A week and a half after leaving Daniel he reached the mountain, getting into the loading dock by riding in on a supply truck. A quick ride in the elevators and he reached one of the two commissaries, and after that he only had to move through the corridors before reaching Major Carter's office and finding the colonel. Colonel O'Neill had the access codes he'd need to dial the Gate, so he sought him out and slipped inside his mind, planting the suggestion that it would be a really, really good thing if he went to the control room and then the Gate room, right _now_. O'Neill fought for a few moments and then accepted the suggestion, heading straight to the control room. Fortunately, the control room was empty and he was able to enter the codes and dial the Gate without a problem. Also, he entered lockdown codes that would keep anyone from entering the control room or the Gate room to stop him as well as keeping them from closing the iris on him. It would not do to have to walk into a titanium iris.

He was standing at the bottom of the ramp leading to the Gate when the blast shield rose, allowing him to see General Hammond and Major Carter staring at him.

"Colonel O'Neill, what the hell are you doing?!" the general demanded. "I am ordering you away from that Gate!"

Carefully, the being urged Colonel O'Neill up the ramp and toward the event horizon, stopping only when he was about five feet away. Hurriedly, he left the colonel's body and practically flung himself into the wormhole, leaving one very confused colonel behind on the ramp. The swirling vortex hurtled him across space and the open Gate almost spat him out the other side. He landed in the grass, thankful to be home, and he was even more thankful when his friends surrounded him, making small noises of concern.

_You are injured, brother,_ the nearest one said. _What has happened to you?_

_A long story,_ he told him. _We need to call a council. The situation with the Ashah has become grave, and I think I need your help._

_Brother to brother, you will always have it,_ he was told by another. _But you need healing. We wil heal you first._

_No,_ he insisted. _A council first, so I may send help where it is desperately needed. You would not leave a youngling held captive and in pain, would you?_

A ripple went around the small gathering, colored with concern and uncertainty. _Daniel? The Ashah?_

_Yes,_ the being affirmed. _We have to help him and ensure that they will not be able to harm him again. Right now they are keeping him in constant pain in order to hold him prisoner._

This time it was anger that suffused the group of beings. _We will call the council, and we will heal you. Then, we will see what we can do to help Daniel._

--

Back on Earth, Colonel Jack O'Neill was a terribly confused man. "I'm tellin' ya, one second I'm chatting with Carter and the next I'm standing on the ramp in the Gate room staring at an active Gate and some...glowy thing that was not an Ascended...going through it!"

"'Chatting with Carter?'" Janet said, glaring at Sam. "Sam, I thought you said you didn't know where he was!"

"Oh, don't be mad at her, I ordered her!" Jack said, waving his hand in dismissal. "The point is, I blacked out for about ten minutes and I don't know why."

"Maybe that thing that went through the Gate has something to do with it," Janet said as she checked his eyes. "How do you feel, colonel?"

"Confused. Do you think that thing messed with my head or something?"

"Maybe," Janet conceded. "Any dizziness? Headache? Nausea?"

"No. Just ten minutes of my life I can't get back."

"All right. I'll order some tests done just to make sure, but so far, everything looks good. Stay on that bed." Janet headed to her office and picked up the phone while Jack flopped into the pillows behind his head.

"Carter?"

"Sir?"

"You know what really gets me?"

"What, sir?"

"The fact that I will probably never know what that was all about."


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 30

Daniel was close to despairing. He was being held by the Ashah someplace, he was in pain, and he couldn't even try to run from them whenever one of them came close. They claimed that they were helping him, but he was beginning to suspect that they were not as eager to help him get well as they were to keep him there.

The days never varied. He was woken up in the morning by one of the Ashah bringing in breakfast for him, and whoever it was would help him eat before helping him wash up and dress. Then, he would be carried into another part of the house—usually one of the three sitting rooms, or the sunroom or library—and he would be left to his own devices for a while until someone else would come to take him off to what the Ashah liked to call "physical therapy." He had another term for it: torture. No matter what he did or how many times he did it, he still hurt as badly as he had the first time he'd woken up in this place. He had to walk up and down a rubber-padded walkway, try to lift small weights, and work on lifting his legs one at a time when he was seated. The rest of the physical therapy varied, but all of it hurt. Even the massages to get his muscles back into shape hurt. _Every_ movement he made hurt and the Ashah did not seem to understand that.

After physical therapy came lunch, which he rarely ever had any appetite for, and then a nap. By this time he usually needed it and he slept like a dead thing until he was woken up two hours later. He was _always_ ready to kill whoever woke him, but his aching muscles kept him from throttling the person. The Ashah called this state of mind _cranky_ but he thought _justifiably homicidal_ was a better term. Once he was awake he was taken back to one of the sitting rooms or outside to the garden for a change of scene. The garden was a gorgeous place if you discounted the fact that it was surrounded by a black iron fence that reminded Daniel of nothing but prison bars. On his first day in the garden he made a break for the large gate that led to the road beyond, but before he was even halfway there the pain he was in made him stop. He rested for a few minutes before getting up to try again and slowly he made it to the gate. Slowly, he unlatched it and tried to move it, but the pain from his body was too great and the gate was too heavy for him to lift. Ara found him there on the ground beside the gate, hopelessly crying from pain and frustration at his inability to do such a simple thing.

"Oh, child," Ara said, lifting him into his arms. "There's no need to cry. I can take you outside the gate if you want to go. You and I can have a walk and then we can come back and have supper, all right?"

"No," Daniel said, swallowing any future tears. "I don't want to. I want to _leave_, Ara. I want to go _home_!"

"You need to heal first," Ara told him, shifting him in his arms. The movement caused pain to flare up in his back and Daniel hissed and had to fight down more tears. "You see?" Ara demanded, vindicated. "You need to get better first."

"Nothing I do helps!" Daniel reminded him as Ara carried him back to the house. "If I went home I'm very certain that Janet could figure out what was wrong with me!"

"Nonsense," Ara said flatly. "We are better healers than your Doctor Frasier."

Idly, Daniel reflected that Janet had better never hear them say that. She was a great doctor and she knew it. Everyone at the SGC knew better than to question her skill.

Supper came usually at six o'clock and afterwards Daniel would usually spend the time reading or listening to music on the small CD player that had been given him. The Ashah seemed content to let him do what he wished and did not seek to draw him out or get him to talk. Usually by nine o'clock he started getting tired and by nine-thirty he was ready to head back to his room. Someone would help him wash up again and help him dress for bed. By ten o'clock he was settled in bed, with a small light on in the corner (so he could see if he needed to hobble to the bathroom) and a relaxing CD playing. Usually he liked quiet when he tried to sleep, but hearing soft music distracted him from his aching body and enabled him to sleep.

He lost track of the days despite his efforts not to. They didn't change in any way and he was certain that he would have lost track even if he had a calendar.

What galled him the most was that he was completely dependent on Pater and the Ashah for everything: washing, dressing, eating, any distraction or entertainment, and of course, for company. He wanted to tell them to go away whenever he saw them, but the truth was that their presence distracted him and gave him something else to think about. He began to feel thankful that they were taking such good care of him, but a large part of his mind kept telling him that they were not to be trusted no matter what. After all, he'd attended those seminars on kidnapping at the SGC. He knew why kidnap victims were sometimes so hard to find—after a time, to survive the victims would bond with their kidnappers and so they would stay and cease to try escaping. During the first days of being held the kidnapped would go through an immense amount of fear, regress somewhat emotionally, and then begin to appreciate their kidnappers for not killing them. That usually led to a bond. Other times the kidnappers would enforce a bond on their victim. They would tell the victim that they were the only family the victim had left (sometimes the kidnappers would even lie to the victim, telling them that their original family had died due to illness, accident, etc.) and through necessity the victim would bond with their captors since the captors would make them completely dependent on them. It was the same as the situation Daniel found himself in: he was dependent on the Ashah for even the clothes he wore and the food he ate. He was dependent on them even for contact with other living beings.

He lost track of the days despite his efforts not to. They didn't change in any way and he was certain that he would have lost track even if he had a calendar.

He began to feel depressed and he stopped trying so hard to fight. There just didn't seem to be any point to it. He couldn't get away on his own, the being had left, and all he could do now was wait for whatever the future held.

--

_This is taking too long,_ he complained, shifting on his bed. _I feel fine._

His brother and sister beings looked at him. All of them had been involved in his healing and he could tell that his impatience was wearing on them. _You do not feel fine,_ one of his brothers said. _Little brother, you cannot fool us, even though you can fool yourself. You are still in pain._

He settled back into the cushions behind him and sighed. _You are right. It is only that I am worried._

_We understand,_ one of his sisters said. _But you will not do him much good if you are not at your best._

It had been several days since the council had been informed of the Ashah's latest actions and approval had been given for him to take the necessary steps to protect humanity from them, but he had to heal before he would be allowed to return to Earth. Only when he was healed would he have all of his abilities that would help him to stop the Ashah.

The council knew that, and one of the conditions of his going back to Earth was that he be completely healed before he went back. Frustrating, but the truth. He could do nothing until his healing was complete. Even though he knew that he could do nothing until then he fretted. He was worried for Daniel and worried about what might happen to the man without him there. He'd begun to be a friend to Daniel, one that Daniel would have depended on heavily during this present captivity, and he wasn't there to give Daniel any kind of support.

--

Pain brought Daniel out of a pleasant dream and he winced, hoping the pain would go away so he could go back to sleep. He shifted around and was trying to get comfortable when he realized that there was someone sitting in the chair by his bed. He looked closely and realized that it was Ara. "Ara?"

"Hello, Daniel. Are you all right?"

He nodded. "What are you doing here? Something wrong?"

"No, I was just sitting here. I came downstairs because I could hear you dreaming."

_This _was new. "You could?"

"Yes. You dream very clearly, and they're beautiful dreams. I could hear you all the way in my room."

_You will _not_ blush_, Daniel told himself firmly. _You will _NOT _blush._ "You could?"

"Yes," Ara assured him. 'It was a very beautiful dream, Daniel. If you have dreams like that, then why did you avoid Sylvia?"

Daniel fought the urge to crawl under the bed and die. "I don't want to talk about it. And…could you not eavesdrop on my dreams?"

"Well, you dream rather loudly."

_Now_ he really wanted to die. If Ara had heard him, then it stood to reason that he hadn't been the only one. "Let's not talk about this, please."

"All right," Ara promised him. "Are you okay?'

Daniel put a pillow over his face and groaned. "I'm fine. I just hurt, that's all."

"Would you like more pain medicine?"

"No," Daniel said firmly.

"There's no reason to deny yourself relief from pain, Daniel. You'll sleep better."

Daniel moved the pillow and glared at him. "Yes, I'll sleep better and I'll be cloudy-headed for the entire day tomorrow. Thanks, but no thanks."

Ara nodded and seemed to think about something. "Daniel, I've been getting the feeling that you're a bit lonely and the rest of us were wondering if you would like to have some company."

Daniel looked at him. "Company?"

"Well, you were just dreaming of Sylvia."

"No!" Daniel said immediately. "I'm not going to let you do this to someone else!"

"Sylvia cared for you, and we can tell that you care deeply for her," Ara pressed. "I think you might feel better if you had her company."

"_No_," Daniel insisted. "She's with her family for the first time in years. I won't let you take her from them again. If you do, then I will never, _ever_ forgive you! As soon as I'm able to walk I will be gone. I promise you!"

Ara held up a placating hand. "All right, all right. We won't."

"You'd better not," Daniel said firmly. He looked at Ara, trying to fight the feeling that no matter what he said they would do what they wanted. "I mean it, Ara."

"I promise we won't, Daniel. Why don't you go back to sleep?" Ara suggested. "I'm sure you're tired."

Daniel sank back into his pillows. "I can't believe I'm about to ask this, but could you make me sleep? I know you've done that before."

Ara nodded. "If you like."

"Please."

Ara placed a hand on his Daniel's forehead and as he started to fall asleep he reflected that Ara's ability to put him to sleep wasn't as nice as falling asleep with the being's ability to do the same.

--

"How am I, Doc?" Jack asked hopefully. Janet had examined him that morning and he hoped that the exam meant he could be sprung from the infirmary.

"You can leave the infirmary," Janet told him. "But you're not going to be cleared for active duty for another few weeks."

"That's fine for me," Jack said, hopping off his bed. "Thanks, Doc."

"You'll have to take pain killers every day and attend physical therapy, but I can release you now," she said. "If I hear about you skipping physical therapy I will drag you back down here. Do you understand, Colonel O'Neill?"

"Completely," Jack said patiently. "When's my first appointment?"

"This afternoon at four," she said.

"I'll be there," Jack promised. "Can I go now?"

She smiled. "Yes, Colonel. You can go now. Make sure you take these according to directions," she said, handing him a bottle of pills, "And make sure you come back if you start feeling worse. All right?"

"Thanks, Doc. You're great. See ya."

"See you, Colonel."

Jack headed toward Sam's office, hoping to talk to her and get some news about the search for Daniel. Teal'c had stopped by that morning, back from Ashah and had reported that no sign of Daniel had been found. That had been depressing, but as Teal'c had said, they couldn't give up hope. It was possible that Daniel Jackson was on his way back to them under his own power. Jack wouldn't put it past him. Daniel was a resourceful guy. It was more than possible that he'd gotten away on his own.

As if his thoughts had been a cue, the sirens went off. _Unauthorized off-world activation. Unauthorized off-world activation._

Jack scooted down the hallway and met up with Sam. "Hey, Carter."

"Hi," she said as Teal'c joined them. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Indeed," Teal'c said, following them.

They reached the control booth where there was a flurry of activity. General Hammond rushed in from his office, looking tense.

"It's in our database, sir," Walter told him. "It's…"

"The last planet we went to," Jack said, seeing the address on the screen.

"Receiving IDC code, sir," Walter said. "It's SG-1."

All three members stared at one another. "It's Daniel!" Jack and Sam said at the same time.

"I believe it may be Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said.

All three of them rushed down to the Gate room the instant the general said, "Open the iris."

The iris opened and a moment later someone stepped through. He stood at the top of the ramp and looked at the three of them as the wormhole disengaged.

"DANNY-BOY!!!" Jack yelled as he charged up the ramp. "How'd you manage this!" He threw his arms around his friend but a second later he actually _fell_ through Daniel's image.

Everyone stared at Daniel and Jack.

"You didn't!" Jack said, shocked. "You—you didn't do the whole ascend to a higher plane of existence thing!"

"No, it's not what you think," Daniel said. "I'm not who you think I am."

All of them looked at him, confused. "What?" Sam said.

"I am not Daniel," Daniel said. "I am a friend of Daniel's."

"Who are you, then?" Jack said.

"That's…complicated," Daniel told him. "Is there somewhere we can talk?"

All of them looked at one another, not certain what to think.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 31

He had thought that Colonel Jack O'Neill was an intelligent man. He'd thought that all those years of working with Daniel would have given the man a more open mind. However, as he submitted to a medical exam (Janet had certainly been surprised, especially when she tried to take his pulse!) and then underwent a debriefing, he had a feeling that he would have to change his opinion of Jack. He'd told his story several times but they were no closer to believing him than they had been the first time. Surely going through the Gate would tell them that what he was saying was true? After all, they'd had enough unusual experiences to accept anything unusual!

Because they didn't know what to do with him while they had a meeting, he was put in a holding cell with two SFs to guard him and to make sure that he didn't try to walk through walls or float through the ceiling. Although he could pass through material he could interact with it and become as solid as it was, so that was what he did as soon as he realized that he was making people uncomfortable by simply sitting down in a chair. He was in there about twenty minutes before Janet Frasier came back, with a determined look on her face and carrying a medical bag. "Hello, Dr. Frasier," he said, pleasantly surprised. He liked Janet. He could tell she genuinely cared for her charges.

"Hello," she said, staring at him and trying not to. She kept doing it until he looked pointedly at her and smiled. "Sorry. It's just…a bit unnerving, seeing you. You look exactly like Daniel but your mannerisms and facial expressions aren't like his. Even though it's his voice, it isn't."

"I understand," he said. "Have you come to make a second try?"

She nodded. "I have to have some sort of information from you, and I have seen you interact with matter. Like that chair you're sitting on, for instance."

"We can do that, yes," he confirmed. "Sometimes it is more convenient."

"Well, hopefully I'll be able to examine you this time. Do you have any similar body structures to us at all?"

He nodded. "Most structures, yes. At least, I am when I'm in this form."

"In Daniel's form or solid form?"

He smiled. "Solid form. Most of my vitals, though, are very different from a human's."

Janet checked him over, covered her surprise pretty well, and finished the exam as best she could. "You weren't kidding about how different your vitals were, were you?"

He shook his head. "No. So, how am I?"

"According to these numbers, you should be dead. At least, you wouldn't be healthy." She held the clipboard out to him. "Do these numbers indicate you're okay?"

He looked at them and laughed. "Yes, I'm just fine. I was checked over before I left home, and the last I knew, going through the Gate did not make you sick."

She tucked the paper away into a folder. "If you say so." She was about to write something on the tab but she stopped and looked at him. "What's your name?"

"I don't think it would translate," the being told her. "Among my people we know one another by our…inner selves, I think is the term. Our essence. Our very being. We are who we are and we all know one another, so there's not really a need for being given a name when we are born. However, Daniel calls me Being. That would work just as well as any other name you'd like to give me."

"Okay," Janet said, writing _Being_ on the tab of the manila folder. "Tell me, how did you and Daniel meet?"

"We met on my world. I am the one with the most experience in dealing with people from other worlds, so I was the one chosen to do a reading of Daniel."

"Reading?" Janet said, beginning to feel a little worried for her friend.

"It did not harm him and it was in no way a violation," he assured her. "I promise you that. Daniel was the logical choice for the reading since the others carried security concerns for this base and for other people."

Janet nodded. The reasoning made sense. Colonel O'Neill had ranking officer codes for security, Sam knew a great deal about the defenses, and Teal'c knew the most about the Jaffa. In terms of security risks, Daniel was the lowest. "So what was this reading?"

"We did not know if SG-1 was an advance party for a later invading force or if their description of themselves as peaceful explorers was true," he continued. "The reading is…well, think of it like your polygraph machine, only better. Even if a person believes that something is true, we're able to see if something really is true."

"And how did Daniel do with this reading?"

He chuckled. "I believe the phrase is 'passed with flying colors.' It was an unexpected pleasure to read him. He is an individual of uncommon qualities."

It was her turn to laugh. "Yep, that's our Daniel, all right." She thought about what he'd told her and then looked troubled. "But even though you finished the reading, you still stayed with him, isn't that right? Why?"

"Some part of me stayed with him," he clarified. "Most of my inner self went with Daniel to remain in his subconscious so I could learn more about your planet and in time return Daniel's memories of our encounter to him. We also sent an information module that would return the rest of SG-1's memories and give basic information for your people when Daniel's memories returned. It would be beneficial for your people to meet ours at the right time, but it would be catastrophic for it to occur at the wrong time. My presence in Daniel's mind would ensure that it would be the _right_ time."

"I see," Janet said, filing that information away for later. "So, what am I looking at now? Are you what was in Daniel's mind?"

"This is all of me, even my physical body," he said. "I have all of my capabilities when I'm in my physical body and I have a better chance to help Daniel this way."

"Where was your physical body while you were in Daniel's head?"

"On my home world," he told her, as if it were no big deal. "Some part of my inner self remained with it, but the majority of me went with Daniel."

"Were you always in contact with Daniel from the reading until now?"

"No," he confessed. "I was not supposed to contact Daniel at all until it was time to return his memories to him. When he was first stolen by Pater, I began to build unconscious defenses in his mind against Pater's mental probing and against the dopamine compound he used. I thought that I could still remain a hidden presence in Daniel's mind. However, when he was taken again by Pater and the Ashah and taken to their world, I established communication between us. The Ashah were far more intrusive, even going so far as to invade his mind while he was sleeping. That was when I became an active presence to protect him. Also, I protected the others. I can tell you that the Ashah were very frustrated creatures after a while."

Janet smiled. "I can imagine. And you stayed with him even when he was brought home?"

"Yes," the being told her. "I was supposed to remain with him as a subconscious presence, but he insisted on continuing to communicate with me and I saw no harm in it."

Janet remembered something. "Could you see what he did? Hear what he did?"

"Of course, and I have a feeling that you're about to ask if Pater was really there when Daniel thought he was seeing him but no one else saw him, am I right?"

She nodded. "Was he there?"

"He was. Or at least, he was allowing Daniel to see him but allowing no one else to see him."

Janet winced. "So he was playing with everyone else's heads?"

"Without remorse," the being affirmed. "Once he became an envoy seeking an alliance, that little ruse was no longer needed. By that point, Daniel's nerves were pretty much frayed and he was vulnerable, which was what they wanted."

"Vulnerable?" Janet said, not understanding.

"They want Daniel vulnerable to their influence, and they are not above playing games with his mind in order get it," he said. "They want him to submit to them, to give up and accept what they tell him. He has a strong mind, but after so long with so much stress, it's inevitable that sooner or later he will give up. They know this."

Janet looked at him carefully and for the first time she could see traces of worry. "You're worried, aren't you?"

"Very," he confessed. "The Ashah are determined that he will not break free again. He has been under too much stress for too long. I am very afraid that this latest abduction will be his breaking point."

Janet was quiet for a moment. "If you were so worried, why did you leave him?" Unspoken was the accusation that the being had left Daniel when he was most in danger.

"We were both injured in the car accident that injured your Colonel O'Neill. If I had been in my own body or even outside Daniel's I would not have been hurt, but I was staying with him while Pater was on the base. I was hurt, and Daniel had a concussion. That concussion damaged the communication pathways I'd set up in Daniel's mind so we could talk, but the subconscious defenses were still place. I knew I couldn't protect him as well as I could if I were healed, so I came here and went through the Gate to my home. I've been there until today. According to them, I was hurt worse than I knew."

Janet had to ask it. "Do you feel physical pain? Like the pain we feel when we're hurt?"

"We feel physical pain but not as you experience it," he said after a few moments of thinking. "Physical pain is more like fatigue for us. It took me much longer to travel here from where the Ashah had Daniel than it would have taken if I hadn't been hurt. Usually it takes only a few days for me to travel home, five to go there and then come back. It took me a week and a half to get here so I could go through the Gate."

Janet dropped the clipboard. "That was _you_?" She groaned. "Do you know the number of tests I had to run on a cranky colonel just because you decided to use him as a taxi to the Gate?"

He was fighting down a smile, she could tell. "Do I want to know?"

"No."

"I thought not."

She glared at him.

"Would it help if I apologized?"

Her glared didn't soften, but her eyes dimmed a bit. "Maybe."

"Then I am most terribly sorry for the inconvenience I caused all of you."

She couldn't help it; she had to smile at that. "You're as good at that as Daniel."

"I haven't spent all this time in his head for nothing."

Janet laughed, and that was where the colonel and General Hammond walked in. "What's up, Doc?"

"Nothing, Bugs Bunny. He just said something funny. I think it will be all right, colonel. I'll see you later, Being."

"I look forward to it," the being said as she gathered up her things and left.

Jack looked at the being and raised an eyebrow. "I was your taxi?"

The being smiled. "I should have known you would be watching and listening. You sent Dr. Frasier in to interview me?"

"She insisted," Hammond said. "You said that you left Daniel. Do you think he's still where you left him? Would the Ashah have moved since you left?"

"I doubt it," the being said. "They've grown complacent and they do not consider me a serious threat any longer."

Jack looked interested. "Why is that?"

"Because I have done nothing that they consider a true threat, so they think that I won't. They are so confident in their abilities and in their own sense that they're right that they feel they won't do anything wrong. They don't see their kidnapping of Daniel as wrong since it accomplishes what they want. They are about to learn how wrong they are."

"What do you mean?" Jack demanded. "You sound like you're about to go tearing off to Daniel's rescue. What makes you think we're going to let you out of this base? I mean, you've been inside Daniel's head, you've used me like a freakin' taxi, you know all sorts of secrets about this place and you walk back in wearing Daniel's face and using his iris code…what makes you think we're letting you go?"

"I've remained here out of courtesy to your protocols, Colonel O'Neill," the being told him. "I returned to your world intending to help Daniel and to ensure that the Ashah can no longer interfere in human affairs. I do not intend to leave here without accomplishing those things."

Hammond stepped forward. "You sound as if you can leave any time you choose."

The being nodded curtly once. "I can. I would prefer to have your cooperation on this, General Hammond. At the very least, Daniel will need the support of his friends in the next few days."

"Days?" Jack said, genuinely surprised. "That's all it would take?"

"I can take you all there today," the being promised.

Jack's eyes bugged. "TODAY?" He turned to the general.

"How do we know we can trust you?" Hammond asked. "You seem genuine, but…" He trailed off, not certain what to say.

"I wish you could read my mind as easily as I could read yours," the being said, sounding genuinely sorry that they could not. "That way, you would know that my intentions are not dangerous toward you and that I truly want to help Daniel."

Hammond nodded and left the room and a moment later Jack followed. The being didn't know if that was good or bad, but he hoped that it wouldn't take them too long to decide. He sat patiently, fidgeting every now and then so the guards wouldn't get too nervous. He could tell that seeing a human form sit completely _still_ unnerved his guards. After a while, he moved to the bed and pretended to nap. It was a natural thing for humans to do, and he looked human, so his guards would accept seeing it. He could sleep if he wanted to, but he really didn't feel like it. No, he wanted to be awake for...

"Um...hello?"

He jerked awake, amazed that he'd actually fallen asleep.

"Okay, now any lingering doubts I might have had about you actually being Daniel have been put to rest," Jack said, staring at him with an amused light in his eyes.

"How so?" the being asked, still not quite awake.

"Daniel talks in his sleep, and sometimes he talks in foreign languages, but I know that he doesn't know _that_ language."

The being blinked, not certain if the colonel were joking or not.

"Anyway, I have good news for you," Jack said. "General Hammond's agreed to a mission to rescue Daniel. You hungry? Thirsty?"

The being shook his head. "No. Are we going now?"

"Right now."

The being smiled. "Good."

Suddenly the two guards wanted to leave the room. The Ashah were about to get theirs.

---

"Oh, for Heaven's sake, put me down," Daniel snapped as Ara carried him upstairs.

"No," Ara said. "It's time for you to wash up and go to bed. It's been a long day."

"At least let me walk!"

"That would make you hurt," Ara reminded him.

"I'm not a baby."

"I didn't say you were."

Daniel shut up then and fumed. The Ashah had been treating him like a child for the last few days and it was getting very, very annoying. He kept losing his temper, but their whole demeanor told him that they were doing this deliberately. Why, he didn't know.

"I cannot wait until Jack and Sam and Teal'c find me," he muttered as Ara carried him into the bathroom and helped him off with his shirt.

Ara chuckled. "Daniel, I have a feeling that if they haven't by now, then they never will. Besides, we haven't even seen or heard from them. It's likely that they've forgotten about you."

Daniel felt himself go cold. "Ridiculous."

"Well, why haven't we seen them?" Ara wanted to know.

"Because they're still looking for me," Daniel pointed out. "Sheesh."

"I think that they've decided to replace you with someone else so they could start going on missions again," Ara said, turning on the hot water. "There's little reason for them to stick around since we have you."

"Oh, don't worry," Daniel said. "They're not going to give up on me."

"I'm not worried. You know, Daniel, that we'd be perfectly happy to be your new family."

_Again with the family thing,_ Daniel thought. It seemed an age that they'd begun treating him like a kid and telling him that they were taking care of him the same way they would take care of any child in their family. All day long it was _child, child, child_ and _family, family, family._ He was actually starting to hear those words even when no one was saying them. It was an actual neurological phenomenon the opposite of sensory fatigue. When you stopped hearing a constant noise even though the noise was still there, it was called sensory fatigue. The opposite of that (and just as annoying) was a sound worm. Most people knew about music worms, which was the phenomena where you had a song stuck in your head you still heard it even though it had stopped playing, but most people didn't think about sound worms until they actually experienced one. Right now, the one he was experiencing was giving him a migraine.

Ara helped him out of the rest of his clothes and into the tub, where the hot water helped him relax and eased the pain in his head a bit. Once his head had stopped pounding he scrubbed and rinsed, then washed his hair. Ara wanted to help him out of the tub but Daniel asked to stay where he was. He wanted a nice, long soak.

"Call me when you're ready then, child," Ara said.

Daniel didn't bother to answer. He was thinking too much about his head and his aching body. No matter the amount of physical therapy he was doing, he still hurt like mad. There were times when it seemed that what he was doing was actually making things worse, but to hear the Ashah talk, recovery was just around the corner.

Annoying. And still very, very painful. He spent most of his time trying to figure out if not moving or moving made things worse, but they both seemed to make him hurt, so there was very little point to it. He considered taking medicine to stop the pain, but...

But...

_Hello, Daniel._

Immediately all of the pain in his body ceased and sweet, wonderful relief rushed in to replace it. _Being?_

_Yes._


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 32

It was the strangest planning session that Jack had ever attended. This being—who looked just like Daniel—had outlined his plan in simple terms, told them what he was planning to do once they got there and had Daniel, and then described exactly how he was going to deal with the Ashah.

"See, that's what I don't get," Jack interrupted, still not certain if this being could be trusted. "One guy against all these Ashah? C'mon!"

The being gave a slight smile and Jack realized that he might have pissed the guy off. "You are thinking in human terms, colonel."

"Well, how about you explain it in human terms?" Jack suggested. "I don't understand."

The being shook his head not in denial but in impatience. "Colonel, you are nowhere near as unintelligent as you like to appear," he said. "You've understood a great deal of what I said."

"No snooping in my head!"

_Now_ he looked annoyed, and it was nowhere near Daniel's usual look of annoyance. It was so _weird_ to see Daniel's face annoyed with an expression that was so…un-Daniel-like. "Sometimes I can't help it, Colonel O'Neill. You think _loudly._"

_This_ was new. "I do?"

"There are times when you're practically deafening. Could you turn it down a bit?"

"Um, I will once you tell me how," Jack said, intrigued. "And be sure to explain it in human terms."

"O'Neill," Teal'c said quickly, sensing that his friend was about to push the being a little too far. "Perhaps you should imagine your thoughts whispering?"

"Whispering? Yeah, I could give that a try."

"That was a very good suggestion," the being told Teal'c, tacitly thanking the Jaffa for his good sense and cool head. He stopped and seemed to listen. "Yes, that works just fine. Now, as for how I'm going to take care of the Ashah, let's just say that I am at my full abilities. They're more than capable of handling the Ashah. You've seen what the Ascended can do what they choose, am I right?"

Jack remembered _all_ of what the Ascended could do and felt his eyebrows shoot toward the heavens. "You can do that? _All_ of that?"

"All of it," the being promised him.

"I have to ask," Sam said, sounding uncertain. "Are you an Ascended?"

The being smiled sadly and shook his head. "No. We are as close as a creature can be without actually going to that higher plane, though. Our race is a very, very old one and our evolution has been very long. Without actually ascending to that plane we can no longer evolve. We are the way we are and we shall remain so until we choose to change."

"What do your people call yourselves?" Sam asked, now interested. A people with such a long history…no wonder Daniel and this being had hit it off so well!

"That is one of the words that will trigger your memories, and I have not been given permission to do that yet," he said. "You humans are a tenacious bunch. If you regained those memories now you would wish to pursue us and knowledge of us. You would not be satisfied until you knew everything."

Jack looked as if he accepted this, much to everyone else's surprise. "Well, he's right," he said when he saw Sam's expression. "We wouldn't quit. That's one of those qualities that make us so darn lovable."

Idly the being reflected if Jack knew that their tenacity was one of the qualities that most races found so intriguing about the humans.

"Okay, so back to the topic," Jack said a moment later. "You said you'd lead us there. So we drive and you navigate?"

The being nodded. "Exactly. You'll have to fly us in by helicopter and then we'll approach the house by car." He stopped and thought. "Can you take a car along in the helicopter?"

"Not if we want to get there with any speed," Jack said. "We could send an order ahead for one, though."

"Perfect," the being said.

"So, once we get to the house, you'll do what?" Sam asked, still not sure.

"First, I am going to leave my body with you and go meet Daniel to tell him that you're on your way and that he needs to get outside to meet you. Then, I'll take care of the Ashah. I'll be taking them back to their home and arrange to have them kept there for a while. Hopefully our actions will convince them to cease all their interference."

"What if it doesn't?" Jack wanted to know.

"Oh, trust me, colonel. It will."

It didn't take them long to brief the general on what they were planning to do. Once he understood the plan he approved it after only a few moments' thought. He told them to be careful, to keep a very, very low profile, and to bring Dr. Jackson home. He'd contact the appropriate authorities and get them clearance for what they were about to do (crossing international borders was the _least_ of it!) and make sure as best he could that they wouldn't run into any problems from local authorities. It wouldn't help to have their rescue mission brought to a screeching halt because a local police officer had decided something looked fishy.

"Your ride to the helipad is waiting at the surface. You should have clearance at all levels. Bring him home, SG-1," General Hammond said as they walked to the elevators.

"Can do, sir," Jack said as he, the rest of his team, and the being got into the elevators. "Stock up on coffee, chocolate walnut cookies, and waffles, okay? We're bringing home a space monkey and he'll be hungry."

The door to the elevator closed on General Hammond's chuckle.

The ride to the helipad didn't take long and within a half-hour they were in the air. The being took the seat nearest to the window and looked down at the land below, smiling.

"First helicopter ride?" Jack asked.

"Yes," the being admitted. "I rode in a plane to get your continent, but I was nowhere near a window."

"Don't you...glow and float in the air? Wouldn't you see things that way?" Jack said, very confused.

"We don't see things clearly when we do that. It's more like we sense them. If there's something dangerous ahead we can avoid it, and we sense its general shape and size and whether it's living or dead, but we can't really see it."

"That sounds depressing," Sam said from her seat.

"I've never thought about whether it is or not," the being told her. "For me, that' s the way things have always been, so I don't really mind it."

He was glued to the window until Jack brought out power bars and bottled water. "We're gonna need energy for the mission ahead, but it's better to eat light. How's a couple of power bars hit you?"

The being tore his attention away from the window and looked at the offered food and drink. "I don't know. Are they good?"

"Sure," Jack assured him.

Sam laid a hand on Jack's arm. "Just a minute, sir," she said. "Um, can you eat human food? What's good for us might be toxic to an alien being."

The being shook his head. "No, I can eat what you can. It will nourish me as well as it would you. Taste, however, might be another matter."

Jack remembered how Thor had reacted to the chocolate cake and winced. "Well, you can always try. If not, we'll try to find something else you can eat. There's other food in storage."

The being accepted the two power bars Jack offered him and the bottle of water. The rest of SG-1 dug into their bars and water while the being carefully unwrapped his and examined it. "The brown coating is chocolate?"

"Oh, yeah," Jack said. "Danny-boy loves anything with chocolate. He ever eat any while you were tagging a ride with him?"

"Yes, several times, and the taste was good, but this will be my first direct experience with it." So saying, he took a bite and chewed while SG-1 waited for his reaction. A moment later his eyes widened and he shivered. His head went back and he smiled, completely relaxed. "Oh, I like this."

"Was that 'oh my gosh, this is so good?'" Sam asked.

"'Good' is a very pale word for describing this," the being said, still draped in his seat like an old suit someone had forgotten about. "This is incredible. It's indescribable. It's..." He stopped and took another bite. "Mmmmm."

"I think that says it all," Jack said, finishing his power bars and taking a sip of water. "Just make sure that doesn't make you too relaxed, okay?"

The being opened one eye. "Relaxed?" He sounded as if he had no idea what Jack was talking about but then he thought about what Jack had said. "Oh. Not to worry. I'll be fine."

"It just gets weirder all the time," Jack said, checking the equipment in his pack for the umpteenth time. "Too much chocolate and Daniel bounces off the walls. Give this guy chocolate and he relaxes."

The being chuckled but quickly suppressed it. If Jack O'Neill couldn't figure it out, then he wasn't about to tell him. He finished the bar, disposed of the wrapping, and then drank down three bottles of water in quick succession. Jack watched with something like awe.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm better than okay," the being said, leaning back in his seat. "Why?"

"The last time I saw any living creature drink like that I was staring at a camel just back from a long time in the desert," Jack said.

"Oh, I'm fine. Just fine. Don't worry."

"If you say so."

About an hour after that they landed and true to General Hammond's word, there was a van waiting on them with a full tank. Jack and the being got into the back while Sam and Teal'c sat up front. The being directed them toward the house where Daniel was being held and as they headed up into the hills they sensed a change in the being. He looked...tense.

"Are you all right?" Sam asked, glancing at him in the rearview mirror.

"I'm fine," the being said shortly. "I'm just casting my senses ahead for Daniel."

"Do you sense him yet?" Jack asked.

"Yes. He's in pain and he's very tired."

"I see lights," Teal'c said.

The being looked. "That's the house. It's about ten to fifteen minutes away. I'm going to go to Daniel now. I'll be fine and I'll come back just before you reach the house. I'll make sure he's outside to meet you. There should be some trees up ahead you can use as cover. You'll be able to see what happens from there."

Before Jack could even say "Good luck," the being's eyes closed. From their perspective, he was sleeping or unconscious, but in reality he was rushing through the air, over the grounds of the house and then inside, where he found Daniel. With the ease of coming home, he entered Daniel's mind and greeted him. Daniel sensed his return and sent out a tentative question. _Being?_

_Yes._

_Where have you BEEN?_ Daniel almost wailed as the relief from pain made him able to think. _Where? Where did you go? Why did you leave me ALONE?_

The mental pain Daniel was in would have been enough to bring him to his knees if he'd been in his physical body. _Oh, Daniel. I didn't want to go. I wouldn't have left you for anything, but I couldn't talk to you. You were hurt and I was hurt, and the pathways in your mind we use to communicate were injured. You couldn't have heard me._

_But I was ALONE!_ Immediately a wave of memory hit the both of them:

_How long had he been there? He had no idea. Why was he there? He knew that all too well, but he didn't like to think about it if he could help it. He was a prisoner, kept there not only by his jailers but by his own body as well. It was just as effective a prison as the house where he was. The house was large, old, and had only two doors to the outside world, but the world was kept from coming in due to the high black iron gate and fence that surrounded the house and its grounds. Whenever he looked out the window the sight of that iron gate met his eyes and reminded him just how much he was a prisoner. Beyond the gate was a road and presumably that road led to other places, but he'd never been beyond the gate while he'd been at the house. Beyond the road were the mountains, whose peaks were already covered with snow, a sure sign that winter was coming and that the road would soon be impassable. He would be trapped at that place until spring thaw, and even if he could walk more than a few steps by himself by that time, how would he get home? Overwhelming was the feeling that he was all on his own in this, his one ally gone._

Almost overwhelming Daniel's thoughts were wave after wave of fear and worry and as the being experienced these he understood. Daniel had been afraid during this whole thing with the Ashah, afraid that he would come to accept them, forget SG-1, and forget who he really was. The Ashah could, after all, take your memories. He'd been afraid that they would do that to him again, that he would forget everything, and he would never see his friends or his home again. Added to that was the Ashah's almost constant reminders that since SG-1 had not come for him, they must have forgotten him, and he was beginning to be afraid that the Ashah had _made_ SG-1 forget. He was sure he couldn't stand that, and the fact that he woke up and had found his only ally in this place _gone_ had been almost too frightening to take. Even if they hadn't been able to talk to one another Daniel would still have drawn comfort from the being's presence, which he would still have sensed.

_It was not my wish to leave you, _the being said, radiating remorse for going. _Truly, Daniel._

_Where did you go?_ Daniel asked, sounding almost like a heartbroken child.

_I had to return to my home for healing, _the being told him._ Since I was injured it took me a much longer time than it would have taken normally. Once I was there, my healing took even more time and I spent most of that time fretting about you. I really got on my people's collective nerves with my complaining. I am a worse patient than Jack._ The being felt Daniel smile at his joke. _You don't have to worry now. I've been to the SGC and your friends know where you are and they are on their way._

_They are?_ Mental relief flooded Daniel's mind.

_They are,_ the being promised. _I'm bringing them here but I came ahead on my own. I wanted to see you. When they arrive I'll have to leave your mind and return to my body, but I will still be nearby._

_They're coming,_ Daniel said, and in the next instant tears were running down his face and he was sobbing. Any person would have thought his heart had broken, but in reality he was so happy that there were no words for how he felt. He wanted to shout and jump up and down and dance around and half-a-million other things to show how glad he was.

_Don't let Ara hear you,_ the being cautioned him._ He'll get suspicious if you're in here much longer._

Daniel took the hint and got himself under control, but every now and then a tear made its way down his face unbidden. A few deep breaths and a brisk face scrub and he felt more like himself. He got out of the tub and dried off, pulled on the waiting pajamas (no way was he going to be rescued naked) and headed into his room, where Ara was waiting.

"Daniel?" he said, getting to his feet. "What are you doing? You should have called me!"

"I'm fine," Daniel said, moving over to his bed. "That hot bath did me a world of good."

Ara looked at him carefully. "You're not in pain."

"Finally," Daniel said, enjoying Ara's surprise. "Like I said, that bath made me feel a lot better."

Ara seemed surprised, but he managed to keep quiet about any suspicions. "I see," he said as Daniel settled into bed. "Well, call us if you need anything, all right?"

"Yep. Good night."

Daniel waited until Ara was gone before speaking. _Being?_

_Yes, Daniel?_

_Why have I finally stopped hurting?_

_Because I stopped what the Ashah were doing, _the being said. _They had tricked your body into thinking it was in pain, which triggered an inflammatory response, and I have a feeling that they've been making you do things that made you hurt worse, am I right? A lot of moving and bending?_

_Physical therapy,_ Daniel muttered. _I knew it! So, how did you make it stop?_

_I simply undid what they did. Sort of like turning a dial to "off," I suppose. How do you feel?_

_No pain, and I feel a thousand times better. Thank you._

_I'm glad. You should get dressed. It's cold outside, and your friends are very close._

Daniel shot of out bed toward the dresser. _How close?_

_About ten minutes away,_ the being said as Daniel pulled out clothes. _Can you get out of the building on your own?_

_Um, I think so,_ Daniel said, wondering if the Ashah would bother watching him tonight. _I can if I'm quiet and if they aren't watching me. Why?_

_I have to rejoin your friends. My body is with them. You'll be all right on your own?_

_As long as they're bringing me coffee,_ Daniel told him.

The being chuckled at his joke. _I can see you will be. I'll see you outside. I have to go now._

_See you soon._

With that, the being was gone, and Daniel was on his own. As quietly as he could he made his way to the door and peeked outside. No Ashah and no Pater. So far, so good. He slipped out and headed down the hall to the stairs. He peeked over the bannister and when he saw no one he headed down. He crept across the hall, through the foyer and to the door. He thought he was safe until he saw a shadow move in his peripheral vision and he darted to the left as someone ran at him and tried to grab him.

"What are you doing?!" Ara demanded. "You're supposed to be in bed!"

Daniel didn't even answer as he kicked out at Ara, just as Jack had taught him, aiming for his kneecap. Even on an alien, that spot was vulnerable to a sudden strike and since Daniel had never been prone to violence before, Ara was not expecting it now. Ara shouted as he crumpled to the floor and Daniel heard a door open upstairs. "Ara?" Steira called. "What's going on?"

Daniel reached the front door just as Ban spotted him from upstairs. Daniel yanked the door open and flung himself through it as Ara struggled to his feet. For a moment Daniel felt one of the Ashah "reaching" for him but he put on a burst of speed and all but flew across the lawn and through the front garden to the gate. He slammed into it at full speed, knocking the air from his lungs and making the gate rattle, but he recovered quickly and began to work on the rusted latch, trying to open it.

"Daniel!" Ara said sharply as he left the cover of the garden and hobbled toward the gate. "Stop right now!"

With a rusty, ear-splitting _creeeeeeaak_ the latch opened and Daniel began tugging at the gate, praying that he could open it wide enough for him to get out. His muscles protested, screaming in pain at the sudden strain he was putting them through, but he couldn't stop now. He had to get away. Ara was getting closer and Daniel grabbed hold of the gate, lifted, felt his muscles scream in agony, and finally the gap was wide enough. He began to squeeze through, tearing buttons off his jacket, and he was just about free when he felt a hand grab his jacket's collar.

"Daniel, you're not going anywhere," Ara said darkly.

Daniel didn't even wait. He jerked the jacket off his shoulders and ran, slipping his arms out of the sleeves as he did so, leaving Ara holding only his jacket and struggling with the old, rusty gate. Daniel took off down the road, hoping that he would see the headlights of a car--any car!--soon. Without a jacket he was freezing, and it didn't help that the ground underneath his feet was covered with frost. His breath puffed out in a great cloud in front of him, obscuring his vision for a few moments, but when it cleared he could see headlights come over the rise ahead. He ran for them, waving his arms and shouting. This car was going to stop and pick him up no matter what...

The car stopped and the window opened. "Daniel?"

"Sam!" Daniel shouted, still sprinting. The side door of the van opened, revealing Jack, and Daniel all but flew into the back seat where he came face-to-face with...himself?

"Hello, Daniel. I knew you could do it."

The tone of the voice told Daniel who it was. "Glad I reached expectations, Being."

"Switch clothes with me," the being said as Jack closed the door.

"Why?"

"Just do what he says, Daniel. Trust me."

Daniel yanked off his shirt, pants and shoes and traded for the BDUs the being wore. "I'll see you later, Daniel," the being said, and in a flash he was out the door and running at an impossible speed back toward the house.

"What's he doing?" Daniel demanded.

"Carter, switch off the lights and switch on the heat and get us into cover," Jack ordered.

"Yes, sir," Sam said, doing as she was told.

"Here, put this on," Jack said, draping a jacket over Daniel. "How long were you out in the cold?"

"I'm fine," Daniel said, too worried about the being to worry about himself. "What's he doing?"

"According to what he told us, he is taking care of the Ashah," Teal'c said as the van entered some trees.

"All by himself?"

"Yes," Teal'c said. "He assured us that he would be more than capable of doing so."

"Yep, all we have to do is watch," Sam said.

"Watch what?" Daniel asked.

Over the rise light suddenly lanced up into the air.

"That," Jack said.

--

Ara was more annoyed and upset than words could express. Daniel was behaving exactly like a child! He refused to accept the truth no matter how clearly they explained it, and Lar had expressed the opinion that perhaps what Daniel needed in order to get him to behave was a healthy dose of physical chastisement! The universe knew they'd tried everything else! While most of the Ashah felt that physical punishment was degrading to the person receiving it, they all agreed that Daniel had to accept the changes in his life, one way or another.

Ara slowed at the sound of a groan and resumed running, heading toward the noise. He found Daniel on the ground, holding his ankle and in obvious pain. "Daniel?"

Daniel looked up and reacted just as Ara had expected. "Go away! Leave me alone! Can't you just leave me alone?"

"Not when you're hurt," Ara said firmly as he picked Daniel up.

"Put me down!" Daniel protested.

Ara felt his already-thinning patience get even thinner. "Daniel, it would be much more beneficial for you if you were to be quiet."

Daniel stared at him, surprised at his tone of voice, but he did stop talking. He wasn't entirely without a sense of self-preservation. Ara turned and started back toward the house and before long the other Ashah reached them.

"You've got him?" Steira said, relieved. "Oh, good. We had no idea which way he'd gone."

"Let's get out of this cold," Ban said. "How'd you find him?"

"He'd fallen and hurt himself," Ara explained.

Iri looked at Daniel closely. "His ankle is the only thing that's hurting."

"I know. Somehow, his body is no longer in pain."

"I knew you'd had something to do with it!" Daniel said, wiggling in Ara's arms.

"_You _are in enough trouble," Lar said coldly.

Daniel snorted. He was getting his confidence back, much to the annoyance of the Ashah. "Trouble? Please! What are you going to do, ground me? Lock me in my room for a time-out? Paddle me like a little kid?"

Lar lost his temper. "If that's what it takes!"

Daniel was quiet a moment. "So we've got several kidnappings, invasion of my mind, drugging me, causing me pain and not to mention mental anguish...now you're going to add physical abuse to your list of offenses?"

"That's it!" Lar snapped. "He has to learn that he can't keep defying us!" He reached for Daniel, intending to deliver punishment, but his hands passed right through the human man.

"I think not," Daniel said as he floated--_floated!_--out of Ara's arms. "I did tell you that I and my people would feel obliged to step in if you continued."

Ara felt odd, decidedly odd. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing that you haven't already done to Daniel," the being said.

There was a flash of light, and then everything around the Ashah went black and silent.

--

A figure hobbled up over the rise, heading toward the van. He waved and hurried as well as he could to where the humans were waiting.

"What happened?" Daniel demanded. "You're hurt?"

"Just a twisted ankle," the being said calmly. "It's already healing, so I won't need the first-aid kit."

"What was that flash of light?" Jack asked as Sam abandoned her search for the medical kit.

"That was the Ashah being transported to their home. My people are already there waiting for them."

Daniel sank back to sit in the open doorway of the van. "What will happen to them?"

"They will be taught--patiently--why what they did was wrong. Also, they will be forced to live as you and your fellow captives did, Daniel."

Daniel shuddered. "Please, Being. Don't do that to them. I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

"You see, I've told you before that you're way too forgiving," Jack said. "They deserve it!"

The being sighed. "Since you wish it, Daniel, I wish I could ask that it not be done, but the decision is not mine, it is that of the Council," he said. "I will ask them, however, to treat the Ashah leniently."

Daniel nodded. He knew when he couldn't do something, but it still bothered him. He was quiet for the car ride back to the helicopter and he was quiet for about an hour of the chopper ride.

"I can hear you thinking all the way over here," Jack said from his seat. "You still bothered?"

"I think so," Daniel admitted, glancing at the sleeping being. Thoughts of him could wake him up, so he kept his attention focused on Jack. "I know the Ashah will be okay, it's just that...I don't want anyone to have to go through what I went through."

"In a way, their situation is already better than yours ever was," Jack said, crossing the chopper carefully to take the seat at Daniel's side.

Daniel raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Huh?"

"They know what to expect," Jack pointed out. "In the meantime, don't worry about it. You can always sweet-talk your friend and his friends into doing something else later. Why don't you get some sleep? It's about four in the morning."

Daniel nodded. "I should."

"Get some sleep," Jack suggested. "I'll tell the pilots to fly easy."

That won a wan smile from Daniel. "Thanks, Jack."

"No problem, Danny." Jack saw a surreptitious movement from the being out of the corner of his eye and a moment later Daniel was slumped in his seat, dead to the world. "Thanks," Jack whispered.

The being smiled and looked at him. "As you said, it's no problem." The being looked at the sleeping Sam, Daniel, and the resting Teal'c. "You should rest, too, Colonel O'Neill."

"Oh, I'm fine," Jack assured him. A second later he started to feel odd. "You dirty, rotten..."

The being smiled and rested his head against the headrest of his seat. "Good night, colonel."


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 33

_How close can someone be to a line and not cross it?_ the being asked himself in the quiet of the infirmary. They had landed at the helipad and headed back to the SGC at all possible speed. All of SG-1 had still been drowsy and Daniel had moved from the chopper to the car still half-asleep and dozed on the way to the base. They went through the security checkpoints and all four of them woke up enough to head inside. The elevator ride seemed to wake Sam, Jack and Teal'c up at least, for once they reached the level housing the infirmary they marched Daniel off for an exam with Janet. They were met there by General Hammond, who was beaming.

"Welcome back, SG-1. How did it go?"

"One space monkey, sir," Jack said, grinning. "Signed, sealed, delivered."

Hammond turned his attention to Daniel. "Welcome back, Dr. Jackson. Good to see you."

"Daniel" smiled and pointed at the man wearing BDUs. "That one, General."

Hammond looked from one to the other, surprised. "Weren't you wearing BDUs earlier?"

"We pulled a Trojan horse," the being explained. "The Ashah had to think I was Daniel."

"I see," Hammond said, not sounding as if he saw it in the least. "Well, congratulations and welcome back."

"He was injured, sir, but he says he doesn't need to see Janet," Jack said, fighting down a grin.

The being glared at him. "I don't," he insisted. "I'm just fine."

"Isn't it base policy that all teams have physicals when they return from a mission?" Jack wanted to know, perfectly happy to be mischievous.

Both Daniels glared at him.

"I doubt he's going to quit until Janet sees all of you," Hammond said.

Jack's smile faded. "Sir?"

"Report to the infirmary, SG-1."

Now it was Jack's turn to complain that he was fine, but he submitted to the exam with good grace. Janet said he was fine, just as he'd said. Jack, Sam and Teal'c were fine as well and they were allowed to debrief with the general, but Janet kept Daniel in the infirmary.

"Janet, I'm fine," Daniel said impatiently.

"I know you feel fine, but I would prefer to have you here where I can keep an eye on you," she said. "Humor me. Please."

So Daniel humored her and agreed to sleep in the infirmary. Nurses tiptoed around his bed on their assigned tasks and everyone was careful to stay quiet so Daniel could sleep. The being left only long enough to debrief with the general and with that man's permission he returned to the infirmary, anxious to be with Daniel.

As he entered the room Janet looked up from the folder she was looking through. "He hasn't budged or even twitched. To all appearances, he's just sleeping."

"That's good," the being said. "He'll be very tired for the next few days and when he wakes up he'll be hungry. Other than that, he should be fine."

"Good to know," Janet said. "What about the Ashah?"

"My people are dealing with them right now," he said, sitting down in a chair next to Daniel's bed.

"What about the rest of SG-1?"

"Still debriefing," he admitted. "The general wants the story told from each viewpoint, and he already has mine, so I came back down here."

"Would you like anything to eat or drink?" she asked, wondering if he needed anything.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you, though."

"All right. I have some work to do in my office but call me if you or Daniel need anything, Being."

He nodded his thanks and looked at the sleeping man. Looking at him brought him back to his question. How close could someone be to a line and not cross it? Couldn't what he was doing be considered on a par with the deeds of the Ashah? After all, his race and the Ashah were both meddling with another species and on each side they were claiming to do so with the best of intentions. Wasn't what he was doing just as bad as what the Ashah had already done? He and his race had interfered, just as the Ashah had interfered. Wasn't it the same thing?

His first instinct was to say no, it wasn't the same thing at all. The Ashah were trying to influence the human race evolutionally rather than…what could their influence be called? Personal influence? He wasn't sure. Still, they were interacting with a race that could still panic at the knowledge that there was other life—life that was untold times more powerful than humans—out in the universe. Some people would take the news well, some would panic, some would be suspicious, and some people would decide that the arrival of alien beings was a sure sign of Armageddon.

The whole situation was not going to be easy in the future. He only hoped that the humans would be ready for it. In the past people had panicked at the odd signs of other life in the universe, and the human imagination had painted that other life as hostile towards humans. _Why_ so many people had thought other beings were inherently hostile to humans was beyond him, but he had seen snippets of human popular culture in Daniel's mind. Clips of old sci-fi thrillers, the covers of comic books, and posters about alien abduction were everywhere.

_Perhaps we ought to take it as a warning,_ the being thought. _I know Daniel and the people of the SGC aren't like that, but what about the rest of the planet? There are no overt movements against aliens, but then again, most people believe extraterrestrials to be science fiction._

His head hurt.

Daniel shifted in his sleep and made a noise that was surprisingly close to a moan, so the being took the man's hand and sent warmth and reassurance into the physical contact. Daniel quieted and buried his head in the pillows, calm once more.

_When a problem seems to be without a solution, examine it from another viewpoint._ An old lesson from his teachers came back to him and thankful for their wise advice, he began to look at the problem again. Technically, humans had met his people already. The humans of the SGC had met him. All right, there was one point. Also, who could say that their first reactions would be violent? Popular culture was just that—popular culture, and most of it was entertainment. Aliens were often the "unknown threat" in stories because they were…well, alien and unknown. In earlier stories the unknown threats had been fairies and ghosts. Who knew how the humans would really react when they met beings from another world? Perhaps the SGC could help arrange an easy transition for the Earth. All told, it might be a good thing. Knowing they were not alone in the universe might unite humanity and help them to work toward peace in their own conflicts. Okay, point two.

The third point he was considering was more difficult. Could his and his people's actions be considered interference? Was what they were doing right? What would the consequences of their actions be in the years to come? Not only were they working on Earth, but now they were working heavily on Ashah. Could they justify what they were doing? Yes, they were keeping a more powerful race from interfering with the Tau'ri, but could what they were doing also be considered interference?

"Stop that."

He was actually startled. He'd been so deep in his thoughts that he hadn't realized Daniel had woken up and was now looking at him through sleepy eyes. "Stop what?"

"Stop fretting."

"I wasn't fretting; I was thinking," he corrected. "There's a difference."

"You were turning your 'thinking' into 'fretting' there," Daniel said lightly. "So, what were you 'thinking' about?"

The being gave him a look but Daniel kept a light smile on his face. "I was thinking about whether what we were doing here was justified. Whether it was right, or whether it was an instance of interference on our part."

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing," Daniel said.

Certain he was quoting something, the being waited.

"It's a quote that's most commonly attributed to Edmund Burke. He was a British political writer and statesman in the 1700s. What it means is that evil will triumph unless good people do something to stop it."

"I see," the being said. "You're saying that my people stepping in kept the Ashah from doing more evil?"

"Exactly. You might wonder if you did the right thing and I tell you that you did. Consider this: the Ashah felt that they were doing nothing wrong. What if they had begun to do more and more that they didn't feel was wrong? Wasn't it better to stop them now instead of letting them continue on until they would have been too hard to stop?"

"Stop a snowball before it becomes an avalanche?" the being said. "I see your point. However, what I'm worried about is something a little different. What if we decide to become a…police force, if you will…for the rest of the universe? Step in and try to fix something just because we think it's wrong?"

"I think the Ashah were already trying to do that," Daniel pointed out. "We weren't living up to our potential, you know."

The being felt his mind moving at a fast speed. Yes, that was right. That was exactly right. Still… "How will we know if we have stepped in where it wasn't warranted?"

"I have a feeling you'll know on your own through your own conscience," Daniel said. "You haven't done anything wrong and already your conscience is bothering you."

The being smiled. "Thank you, Daniel."

"You're welcome."

Daniel was quiet and he looked so odd that the being had to ask. "You've helped me with what was troubling me, now will you permit me the privilege to do the same for you?"

Daniel looked at him. "Will you tell me what will happen to the Ashah?"

The being considered this. "Yes. I can do better than that, though. I can show you. I can show you everything that's happened so far and everything that's happening this very minute. All it would take would be for you to open your mind to me again."

"Like the reading?"

"Yes, like that."

Daniel nodded. "I'd like that."

The being nodded and stretched out on the bed next to Daniel and wrapped his arms around him. It should have been odd, being held by…well, himself, but in the next instant the oddness faded and the old familiarity of the being returned and he relaxed. The being had been his friend for a while now and there was no reason to fear him now.

Ease and comfort spread through him and his entire body relaxed. His eyes closed and complete lassitude took over just as the being touched his mind.

_Hello, Daniel. Ah, I've missed you, youngling,_ the being said.

_I've missed you, too,_ Daniel confessed.

They fell back into the old ease of two friends while the being showed Daniel exactly what he needed to do in order for this "seeing" to work. The being marveled once again at the amount of pure _trust_ in Daniel—it was a compliment to how much Daniel trusted him when Daniel opened his mind without a qualm. An instant later and they were seeing Ashah and everything that had happened since they had been returned home.

"_What is going on?" Ara demanded, seeing the familiar surroundings of the compound where the humans had been kept._

"_You have been returned home," a voice said. "It has been decided that you have done too much harm to the humans you have selected to 'protect.' You will remain here and you will learn better ways than the ways you have used until now."_

"_By what right are you doing this?" Lar snapped. "How dare you--!"_

"_By the same right you exercised when you kidnapped several sentient and sapient beings from their homeworld," the same voice interrupted. "One of those beings, Daniel, has asked that you be treated leniently."_

_Something in the voice's tone told the Ashah that this was serious._

_"Show yourself," Ban ordered._

_They waited but they saw nothing._

_"Show yourself!" Ban demanded. "What are you? _Where _are you?"_

_"We are here," said the voice. _

_"Then why won't you show yourself?"_

_"You did not ask."_

_Ara blinked. "Yes, we did."_

_"No, you didn't," the voice countered._

_Daniel could see that Ara was thinking very quickly. "Would you please show yourself?"_

_The request did it. Five beings appeared in all of their glowing beauty and more than one of the Ashah gasped._

_"I'd almost forgotten," Ara said. "The one in Daniel's mind said that you would step in if you felt it was warranted."_

_"It was warranted, Ara," the voice--which being was it coming from?--told him sadly._

_Lar snorted. "I don't think it was. You're interfering where you have no cause to interfere!"_

_"So were you," the voice pointed out. "You did harm."_

_"We were trying to help!" Lar insisted._

_"You gave more harm than help," the voice insisted just as strongly. "In the past, your people have usually been the stronger when it came to dealing with other races. This strength has led you to think it is superiority, rather than just strength. You must learn and realize that strength is not always superior."_

_Ara was starting to look very worried. "What do you mean?"_

_"We mean that we will teach you. We will help you come to understand what it is that you've done wrong and we will help you learn better ways."_

_"Who is to say that your ways are better?" Steaira asked uncertainly. "It may be that your ways will not be good for us."_

_"They are ways that will harm no one," the voice inisisted._

_**There are only five of them.** It was Lar's voice and he seemed to be speculating on if it were possible to overpower the beings._

_"I would not try it, Lar," the voice said._

_Lar choked. "You can read our minds?"_

_"As easily as you can read the minds of the humans, especially when you think loud."_

_"They're _our_ minds; they're private!" Iri protested._

_"Did you grant that privacy to the humans?" the voice asked. "You did not. Therefore, your minds will not be secret to us."_

_"B-but th-that isn't r-right!" Iri spluttered. "That isn't _fair_!"_

_"But that is the way things are for now," the voice told them. It seemed to be coming from the center being. "We will live here with you, we will order your days, we will teach you, we will punish you when you do wrong, and hopefully, we will help you learn better ways of gaining what you want without interfering with other races."_

_"But it was all for the best--" Ara began._

_"For whom?" the voice wanted to know. "Was it the best for the humans or for yourselves?"_

_Silence._

_"I think it was the best for all concerned," Pater said hesitantly into the quiet._

_The beings turned their attention to him. "How so?" asked the center being._

_"We would gain a chance to continue to exist as a species and the humans would reach their potential."_

_The center being raised an eyebrow. "And what potential would that be?"_

_There was something that had been implied and Daniel couldn't grasp it, but he had a feeling that he wouldn't like it once he understood._

_"Our offspring will continue to live," Pater began, but Lar cut him off with a sharp "Pater!"_

_"Your offspring will continue to live if you were able to make advanced offspring of the Tau'ri for them to have as mates," the center being said. "Their race combined with yours--_that_ is the great potential you saw for the Tau'ri."_

_He didn't like it. He didn't like it at _all._ He wished he'd never heard it. "Being? Could we stop? Please?"_

Abruptly, they were no longer on Ashah, they were in his mind. _Are you all right, Daniel?_

_No, _Daniel admitted. _I feel a little sick. That's like...that's like...How could they_ do_ that? Did you know that was what they were really planning?_

_No, I didn't__, _the being told him. _I suspected that there was more than I was seeing, and their shields were good enough so that I could only sense the thoughts they were thinking at the moment I was reading them, but no, I didn't know. There were several times when I wished I were omniscient._

Daniel smiled. _A lot of people have wished that. In stories, the people who gain omniscience consider it more of a curse than a blessing._

The being chuckled. _I see. I will take it as a caution against foolish wishes._

Daniel was quiet for a moment before something occurred to him. _How will you keep the Ashah on their planet? Can't they just...I don't know...fly off whenever they like?_

_They will find their abilities greatly curtailed, Daniel,_ the being said. _They will not be able to leave their planet or travel until they have learned not to interfere with other races. Don't worry about it._

Daniel got quiet again and the being didn't have to ask to know that he was worrying. He'd hated what the Ashah had done to him and his fellow prisoners, but he was not a vindictive man. When he'd said that he wouldn't wish the same thing on anyone, he'd truly meant it. While thinking about a past event and coming to terms with it was good, that was not what Daniel was doing now. All he was doing was allowing worry to eat him up inside and that was just about pointless. The being knew he had to distract Daniel before he turned himself into a big knot with worry.

_I would ask what the matter was, Daniel, but I think I already know. Is there anything I could do for you to help you feel better?_

Daniel thought about it. He could always ask the being to bring forward a favorite memory so he could experience it again, but he wasn't certain he wanted that. No, he wanted...what was it? Would the being think it was too much? That was when Daniel realized the being was letting him think on his own without being in his head. He was giving him privacy. That was okay, but he really didn't want the being to leave him _alone_. What he really wanted was just company. _Do you think you could stay with me? Keep me company?_

_Of course,_ the being said. _Just in your mind or in the waking world?_

_Waking world, _Daniel told him. _Now that all this is settled I know you'll be heading home, so I'd better get used to you not being in my head._

_I'll be around a while longer,_ the being promised. _I have a strong feeling that General Hammond would love to have a long talk with me, most likely about the security of his base. _

Daniel laughed. _We might have to give you your own IDC._

_I'd like that. I could come for visits and replenish my supply of power bars._

_Would seeing a certain archeologist be a part of the reason for those visits?_

_Imp,_ the being said. _Of course you would. You would be the main reason._

That was when Daniel became conscious of lying down with arms around him. Oh, yes, that was right. The being was lying on the same bed and was holding him. That was nice. When a hand smoothed his hair that was even nicer and he settled into his pillow with a sigh. It had been a long, long time since he'd been this relaxed.

_Feel better?_ The being was communicating with him mind-to-mind, but the being's consciousness was in his own body. He wasn't leaving Daniel alone just yet.

_Mmm-hmmm,_ Daniel admitted readily. _This is nice._

There was gentle amusement from the being and Daniel sent back a silent query, confused by the amusement.

_I'm amused because you look so much a child when you're asleep,_ the being told him.

The being was looking at him while he slept? Wait a moment. _I'm not asleep, being._

_Your eyes are closed, your breathing is regular, and your body is relaxed, _the being replied. _You _look _asleep._

_Are any nurses lurking?_ Daniel asked, michief coloring his thoughts.

_Several_, the being admitted after searching with his mind for the presence of others. _Why?_

_It's good to know. That way, I won't do anything heartbreakingly cute while I'm lying here and I won't have to put up with 'Oh, how cute!' more than I have to._

Another wave of amusement caught Daniel's attention but the being explained it before he could wonder about it. _They find the fact that there's two of us curled up together to be very, very cute. I wonder if they can tell us apart?_ He paused and seemed to listen. _Yes. They know I'm Being and that you're perfectly adorable._

_Is that what they're thinking?_ Daniel asked, a bit alarmed.

More amusement. _Oh, yes. They're thinking loud._

_Oh, no. Could you make them go away?_

The being's amusement was even greater now. _What, don't you like having nurses fuss and flutter over you?_

_You make them sound like a flock of hens,_ Daniel told him. _They're professionals and they do their jobs very well and they take great care of you when you're hurt or sick, but I really don't...well, if any of them do like me, I don't want them to get their hopes up that it might turn into something more. They're all very nice and they're attractive, but I just don't find them _that_ attractive, you know?_

_I do know,_ the being said. _You're very considerate, Daniel, but I don't think they would thank you for that consideration._

_I can always hope,_ Daniel pointed out philosophically.

Someone entering the infirmary drew the being's attention and he smiled when he saw Colonel O'Neill. He was looking at the two of them with a quizzical expression, as if he weren't quite sure what he thought about what he was seeing. "Hi. What's all this?"

"Daniel asked me to keep him company."

Jack's eyebrows went up but he didn't comment. "Is he asleep?"

"Not quite, he's half-asleep and half-awake. I've been helping him relax. Would you like me to wake him up?"

"No, I just stopped by to see how he was doing. The general says that as soon as he feels up to it he can debrief and submit his report. Once that's done, he'll be allowed some time to begin recovering."

"Good to hear," the being said before turning his attention to Daniel. _Daniel? Would you like to wake up and talk to Jack or would you like to go back to sleep?_

_I think I'd like to talk to Jack, if just to reassure him. He tends to worry._

_All right._ The being drew away from Daniel's mind and encouraged his body to wake up and in the next second Daniel's eyes opened and he spotted Jack. "Hi, Jack."

"Hey, Danny. Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's okay, I wasn't really asleep, and I heard what you said."

The being took this opportunity to leave the infirmary to get Daniel and the colonel something to eat. Daniel would be hungry in a short while and Jack could do with having something, too. His last meal had been a few power bars fifteen hours ago. There were few people in the commissary at that time, so it didn't take him long to get a tray and load it with sandwiches and the men's favorite sweets. Sometimes a person dealing with a great deal of stress and fatigue responded well to a little gustatory pampering and he felt that it was called for in this instance.

"Daniel? You've already left the infirmary?"

"Hello, Major Carter," he said, seeing Sam crossing circumnavigating a table to reach him. "No, Daniel's in the infirmary talking with Colonel O'Neill and I felt they should have something to eat. Should I have asked an airman to come with me?" Too late he remembered the stringent security measures in place on the base.

"Well, I can be your escort now that I'm here. Aren't you eating?"

"I don't need to eat that often," the being told her, topping off the tray with two bottles of juice. "Do you think those two will agree to eat all this?"

Sam eyed the tray speculatively. "Maybe if you keep them distracted with something."

"I'll ask them for their opinions on hockey."

Sam laughed and headed back to the infirmary with the being. She was more than amused when she saw the being take her suggestion, and both men ate almost everything on the tray while they argued about the merits of hockey. Daniel didn't see much point to it while Jack regarded it as the finest sport in the world. More than once she had to stifle sudden laughter as the two of them butted heads over the topic, and she saw a glint of amusement in the being's eyes as well. Soon after the food was gone Daniel curled up in his bed again and went back to sleep without any prompting, and as one Jack and Sam looked at the being for an explanation.

"He's been stressed for a very long time, so he'll be tired. Dr. Frasier can tell you more about that."

"You didn't...you know, put him to sleep or something?"

The being shook his head. "No, that was all Daniel."

Jack didn't say anything as he covered his best friend with another blanket, but the being knew what he was thinking even without reading the colonel's mind: _He'd better be okay, or I'm going to kick some Ashah tail._

The next morning Daniel debriefed to the general after a very hearty breakfast and an a-okay from Janet. Then, he went to his office, wrote and submitted his report, and then he wasn't quite sure what to do with himself. He could go home if he wanted as long as he remembered to report for his mandatory psych session tomorrow morning, but he really didn't want to. He didn't want to go into town, either. At least, he didn't want to go by himself, and all of his friends were busy. Sam, Jack, and Teal'c were all busy working. The being probably wouldn't be allowed off the base.

He was distracted from his thoughts when his phone rang, and it was good to pick it up and say, "Daniel Jackson."

"Hello, son," Hammond said over the line. "I forgot to ask you something while you were here."

"Oh, no problem," Daniel said. "What's up?"

"I think it would be a good thing if you got back into the real world for a little while, and the being was just here asking if it would be possible for him to see Colorado Springs. Do you think you could do him that favor?"

"Oh, sure," Daniel said, pleasantly surprised. "When?"

"I've sent him to your office, and I've already explained that he needs to be as human as he can be. He'll explain everything as soon as he sees you. Thanks, Dr. Jackson."

"Thank _you_, sir," Daniel said. "I wanted something to do and you've just given it to me on a silver platter."

"Happy to oblige, son."

Daniel hung up the phone in a much better frame of mind and not five minutes later...someone...stood in his doorway.

"I'd like to introduce myself," the man said. He was dressed in civvies but his haircut and bearing were all military. He took out an ID badge and looked at it. "Oh, that's right. I'm Lieutenant Michael Campbell, a visitor to Cheyenne Mountain Air Force base."

Daniel stared at him. "Being?" The voice sounded just like the one he was used to hearing in his head!

The man smiled. "You should call me 'Michael,' Daniel. Do I look all right?"

Daniel looked him up and down. "Yeah, you do. Better than all right. You look like a regular guy."

"That's good?"

"Very good," Daniel assured him. "You'll blend right in. So, what made you decide to see Colorado Springs? Haven't you already seen it?"

'Michael' looked thoughtful. "I have, but I've only seen it through your mind. I'd like to experience it, too. Also, my people are curious about your planet and I'd like to take back as much information as possible about it. Colorado Springs looks like a good place to start. Besides, a possible ally should be shown a little bit of a good time since he can't _always_ be a serious diplomat."

Daniel blinked, surprised. "Possible ally? I thought your people felt we weren't ready for that yet."

"Your people aren't ready as a whole, it's true, but it's possible that the SGC is ready. The Council has already approved the move."

Daniel's face broke into a huge smile. "That's great! You'll be able to stay long enough to establish diplomatic relations!"

"And I'll be here long enough to spend some time with you when you aren't in a seige situation. I have to say, I'm looking forward to that."

"I am, too," Daniel admitted. "So, what would you like to do first?"

"How about we go into town and see what we can do when we get there?" Michael suggested. "I don't really know what the options are."

"I'm more than okay with that," Daniel said. Within twenty minutes he had changed into civvies, stashed his stuff in his locker, and led the being through the security checkpoints up to the surface and to his car. Fortunately, the SGC had kept it in their lot for when he came back. It was touching, seeing that little token of belief in him. With a full tank, no less! Within five minutes they drove out of the base and headed for town.

"I won't be able to talk mind-to-mind with you while I'm in this form, Daniel," Michael said. "I've suppressed most of myself so I'll seem human."

Daniel sneaked a glance at him. "I didn't know you could do that."

"It's something we don't do often since it takes so much effort to undo, but I think in this case the caution is warranted. I don't want to give myself away."

"Even if you hadn't suppressed most of yourself, I don't think you would," Daniel said as they reached the highway. "You're far too careful."

"Why, thank you, Daniel. I hope I can justify that impression."

"No justification needed."

Michael was quiet for a few minutes but then he spoke. "General Hammond asked me to tell you that you're to enjoy yourself as much as you can today and to relax. Also, he gave me an expense card and a mobile phone to use in case of an emergency."

"That was nice of him," Daniel said. "So, the base foots the bill for your day out?"

"He said that you deserved it as much as I did," Michael added. "Besides, isn't it normal for the host country to pay for things?"

Daniel laughed. "Yeah, it is. Almost forgot." Daniel realized how close they were to town and grinned. "If you'll look up ahead, Michael, you'll see your first glimpse of downtown."

Daniel watched the expression on his friend's face and fought down another grin. Oh, this was going to be fun.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 34

Spending time with Michael was nothing short of an absolutely refreshing joy. With each passing moment Daniel could feel weeks' worth of tension slipping away. Everything Michael saw interested him and the expression on his face was that of a delighted child. There was a bazaar in one of the plazas downtown, and Michael was perfectly happy to wander through it, taking things in and experiencing it all. He'd seen it going on from the car and had asked to stop.

"What is this?" Michael asked, keeping his voice low as they walked up the center aisle.

"It's called a bazaar. People come and set up stands with things to sell and sometimes there are performers."

Michael looked ahead. "The stand where people are playing music?"

"Yep. What do you think?"

"I think it's wonderful," he said, looking around. "Can we stay a while?"

"Sure thing," Daniel said. Being in the bazaar would allow him to observe humans and he might find a souvenir or two to take home.

They wandered the stands and Michael stopped at each one and examined a sample of what was on sale, but he didn't buy anything. Daniel ticked the different stands off in his mind: they visited a leatherworker, a stand with trays and trays of glass beads of all shapes, colors and sizes, a woman selling brass windchimes, another person selling wire jewelry, a stand selling just about _anything_ made out of macramé, a place selling stained glass pictures, a stand selling folk art dolls and stuffed animals, and a place where you could purchase the supplies to make your own sand art. Beyond that was a stand selling scented candles, soaps, and lotions that made his nose itch, but Michael seemed to love it. He kept sniffing the candles and soaps most of all but Daniel suspected that was because they had the sweetest scents.

"Oh, I love this," Michael said, sniffing one jar candle for the fourth time.

"What scent is it?" Daniel asked, examining the label. "Oh. Spiced pumpkin pie."

"This has to be the most incredible thing I've ever smelled," Michael told him, his nose still over the open candle.

"Well, we'll get it for you," Daniel said. "That way you can take it home with you and smell it while you're there."

"I'd like that," Michael said, still sniffing. He kept sniffing all the way through buying it and declined having it wrapped or put into a bag.

"You'll make yourself light-headed if you keep doing that," Daniel cautioned him as they continued through the bazaar. "If you close it up and give your nose a break it'll smell just as good when you open it up again."

Michael took his suggestion. "Sorry about that. It just smells so good."

"No need to apologize," Daniel assured him. "What would you like to look at next?"

Michael looked around. "There's a stand selling books!"

Daniel grinned. "Let's go look there, shall we?"

Several hours later Daniel and Michael returned to the car with the scented candle, two books (one all about the Earth and the other all about its peoples and history), and a package of chocolate fudge for Michael to take back with him. Michael had had a sample of the fudge and had shivered when he tasted it, so Daniel was unable to resist buying him some.

"I have to ask," Daniel said as they fastened their seat belts. "What happens to you when you eat chocolate?"

Michael looked surprised and a tad uncomfortable. "Um…why do you ask that?"

Daniel noticed his discomfort. "It's all right, you don't have to tell me; I just wondered," he said. "Jack had mentioned your reaction to the chocolate power bars and you'd mentioned taking some home with you, and earlier I saw you eat a chocolate cookie and you did the same thing."

"I'd forgotten how observant you are," Michael said as they drove away. "I think there's something in the chocolate that acts as…well, something. It acts on our bodies the same way Pater's dopamine chemical acted on you, but eating chocolate is much more intense, it seems."

Daniel looked at him and then looked back at the road, alarmed. "So it's like a drug? You won't get addicted, will you?"

"No, I won't become addicted," Michael promised him. "We're not able to become addicted to any foreign substance. It's not in our genetic makeup. And the chocolate isn't like a drug, really. Not in the sense you mean. It's more like…something that tastes really, really good and that sense of _good_ can be felt in my whole body."

Daniel glanced at him. That was very thought-provoking. "If I ate food from your world would the same thing happen to me?"

Michael considered this. "I have no idea. It might taste good, it might taste awful, or it might poison you. I'd rather not find out if that is the case. We could test it to see if you could eat it, though, if you'd really like to try."

"I'll think about it," Daniel said lightly. "Speaking of food, would you like to get something to eat? Are you hungry?"

Michael looked surprised. "I think this is part of being human," he chuckled. "Yes, I believe I _am_ hungry."

"Okay, we can find someplace to eat." Daniel glanced at him again as if wondering whether he should ask something or not.

"What is it?"

"Well, I was wondering how human you were," Daniel confessed as he turned right.

"How human I was?" Michael said, vastly amused.

"Yeah, do you just look human, or are you so human no one would ever be able to tell, or..."

Michael laughed. "I see. The curious peaceful explorer has questions."

Daniel rolled his eyes. "C'mon. Have you ever known me when I _didn't_ have questions?"

Still grinning, Michael paused as if thinking about it. "Nope, not really. Even when you were asleep you were asking questions."

"And will I get answers?" Daniel pressed.

Michael shook his head in amusement and laughed. "All right, incorrigible one. I am just about as human as you are, really. My self and my personality are as they always have been, but my body has become human. Before I made the change, I implanted a neural trigger in my subconscious mind that would operate when I heard three key words. I don't even know what they are since I asked General Hammond to assist me in this and he chose the words. When the neural trigger hears those words, my subconscious mind will take over and change me back to normal form."

Daniel felt worried very quickly. "Isn't this dangerous? I mean, what if you were hurt while you were in human form? You wouldn't be able to heal yourself."

"We will only be in town for today, Daniel."

"Yeah, but bad things have a way of happening very quickly in a short time," Daniel reminded him.

"That's only if you aren't careful," Michael pointed out. "Lately you've been under so much stress that you won't have any inclination to be less than hyper-vigilant."

Daniel considered that. "I guess so." As he thought about it, he realized it was true. He'd been watching the people around them all day, checking to see if anyone was acting in a suspicious manner or watching them, all of his skills from his training sessions with Jack coming to the fore. When he thought about it, it was amazing how much different he was from the man he'd been when he'd joined the Stargate program. Back then, he wouldn't have noticed if someone were watching or following him, but he'd been watching for that since they'd left Cheyenne Mountain. Interesting.

"Is there any type of food you'd like to try?" Daniel asked.

Michael looked thoughtful. "I don't know. How about you choose for me and we'll see if I like it?"

Oh, so he was up for a taste adventure, then. Okay. "All right, I know the perfect place." Ten minutes later and they were there, a quiet, understated restaurant that Daniel loved to go to. He'd taken Sylvia there once because the atmosphere was quiet and the food was incredible. If Michael wanted a taste adventure, then he'd like this place. Each order you placed came with an appetizer, an entree with two sides, a dessert, and drink 'creations,' as they were called. The restaurant didn't have a liquor license so they couldn't serve alcohol, but they were pretty good at creating iced or hot drinks with any flavor--or flavors!--you wanted. There were times when he drank more than he ate at that place.

An hour later and Daniel was certain that Michael was enjoying it. For lunch they had mushroom and rice soup, and for an entree Daniel had a steak with two vegetables and Michael chose stuffed pork chops with mashed potatoes and peas. For dessert they both had chocolate cake and to drink...well, they had so many that they couldn't name them all.

"I see why you like this place," Michael said, leaning back in chair with a glass of something that smelled like a fruit salad. How many flavors had he asked for in that glass of iced tea, anyway?

"It's a comforting place to be," Daniel admitted. The old-fashioned decor and the crackling fire in the fireplace helped foster the impression of ease and peace. "So, where would you like to go after this?"

Michael thought about it. "Somewhere outside? I've seen plenty of your buildings but I haven't seen very much of the outdoors."

"Sure. There's a park not too far from here. We can go there. There's a lake and nature trails and a butterfly garden, so you'll get to see a lot of things. I keep a digital camera in my car, so you'll be able to take pictures to show to everyone at home."

"They'd like that," Micheal said. "Memories you can touch!"

It didn't take them long to get to the park and Michael loved it, Daniel could tell that right away. As he and Michael walked along the side of the lake and fed the ducks and geese, he realized that the hyper-vigilance he'd been feeling since the Ashah had taken him was starting to melt away. He was home. He would see his friends that night, and he was showing a good friend his world. There were no crises to take care of, no imminent danger of the planet being attacked, nothing that needed taken care of right now. It felt very, very good.

"Why do the ducks make the noise they do and why do geese make the noise they do?" Michael asked as the birds fought over the feed they'd just scattered into the water.

"Well, ducks quack and geese honk," Daniel said. "They've always made sounds like that."

"The geese are louder than the ducks," Michael observed, smiling when he saw two geese fighting over a pellet that a duck made off with a moment later.

"During medieval times in Europe, people would keep geese to guard the house against intruders," Daniel said. "They're louder than dogs, especially when there are a lot of them, and they swarm anyone who approaches their territory, so to speak."

Hearing the geese, Michael grinned. "I can believe that."

They stayed at the park, walking, talking, and taking pictures all afternoon until about seven, when Daniel suggested that it was time they got something to eat.

Michael looked surprised. "Is it time to eat again already?"

"Yes, it was about one when we had lunch, and it's been six hours. Do you feel hungry?"

Michael paused. "So that's what that is. My stomach's been making noises for the past hour and I couldn't figure out what it was."

Daniel laughed. He couldn't help himself; it was just too funny. "All right. Let's go get something to eat." They headed back to the car, chatting, and took a shortcut along a short nature path that would get them there at least five minutes sooner. As they walked, Michael chatted about how much he'd liked the park. "I can't wait to show everyone else the pictures. They won't believe some of the colors on those butterflies!"

"You liked them?"

"Of course I did," Michael assured him. "We don't have creatures like that at home. They were very interesting."

"What'd you think about the water birds?"

Michael laughed. "Loud."

Daniel had to laugh at that, as much from what Michael said as from his expression.

"Do you think we could do something like this again?"Michael wanted to know, carefully picking his way along the edge of a muddy patch.

Daniel turned his attention to getting around the mud himself. He did _not_ want to track enough mud to make mud pies into his car. "Sure thing. I think--"

"DANIEL!" Michael shouted, seeing something behind his friend that made him jump forward in an effort to ward it off.

A loud _crack_ against the back of his head and Daniel felt himself falling. A moment later everything went dark.

--

"Looks like someone hit him on the head," Daniel heard. "You call for an ambulance yet?"

"They're on their way," someone else said. "Why would someone do that? It doesn't look like he was robbed--his wallet is still in his pocket and there's money and credit cards still in it. He's still wearing his watch and he's got his cell phone. Did you call his ICE number?"

"His in case of emergency? Yeah. Some guy called Jack. Works at Cheyenne Mountain and he sounded almost panicked when I told him what had happened. Said he was on his way and hung up."

The sound of sirens lanced through his head and Daniel groaned.

"Hey, he's coming around! Mr. Jackson, can you hear us?"

"No," Daniel moaned. "Oh, my head! What hit me?"

"We don't know, but it looks like someone jumped you. Can you open your eyes?"

"I don't want to," Daniel said, his head pounding like crazy.

"Well, the EMTs are here to check you over, so you kind of have to now."

"Where's here?"

"The ranger's and first aid station," the first man said. "C'mon, open your eyes."

Daniel forced his eyes open and as he expected, light lanced through them and made his head pound even harder. He was lying down somewhere and he could feel a neck brace around his neck and he hurt. He groaned. "Owww." With him he saw two park rangers and two EMTs. The rangers explained what had happened--he'd been found lying on one of the nature trails cracked on the head and unconscious--and the EMTs began to check him over. "You were right," one of them said. "No neck injury, but it looks like he has a concussion. We'll need to check him over at the hospital to be sure. Whoever hit him got him pretty hard. No serious trauma, though, since his pupils are the same size."

"Can I go back to sleep?" Daniel begged.

"Not yet," the closest EMT said. "We need to make sure you're all right."

"But it won't hurt while I'm asleep," Daniel pointed out. That was when he remembered. "What about Michael? Is he okay?"

"Who?" one of the rangers said.

"My friend who was with me," Daniel explained.

"Was he the one who hit you?" one of the EMTs asked.

"No! He's a friend. He's a visitor to the base and I was showing him around Colorado Springs."

A car screeching to a halt outside made Daniel groan and clutch his head again. A second car stopped without the screeching and Daniel sent up a silent prayer of thanks for that. However, in the next minute the door crashed open and Jack ran in. "Daniel? What the hell happened?"

"Hi, Jack."

"Don't you 'Hi, Jack' me," Jack said, sounding ready to kill. "You're not even back for a week and something happens. From now on, you're confined to the base, got me?"

"I'm a civilian, Jack," Daniel reminded him. "Could you stop shouting, please?"

"Fine, I'll get General Hammond to confine you to base. That's the only possible way to keep you out of trouble!"

"Colonel, could you turn on the overhead lights?"

The added light helped Daniel to see that Janet and Sam were also there, along with Teal'c, who was sporting a baseball cap. Janet started to check him over. "Hi, Janet. Hi, guys."

"Hello, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said. "How do you feel?"

"Awful," Daniel said honestly.

"No serious trauma," Janet said after examining him. "We'll need a CT scan and possibly an MRI to be sure, but I don't see any obstacle to moving you."

"I just got out of the infirmary," Daniel muttered, wishing his head would stop hurting.

"Well, now you get to go back and have nurses fuss over you," Janet told him. "You'll be there for a while until we're sure you're okay. Do you feel nauseous? Dizzy?"

"No, just my head hurts," he said. "I think I'll be okay if I could get some Tylenol."

"You're going to the infirmary," Jack said, still sounding furious. "For the love of all that's holy, Doc, do you think you could keep him in restraints? That way we'll know where he is and that he's safe!"

"You're making too big a deal, Jack," Daniel told him as two orderlies brought in a stretcher. "Oh, Janet, you didn't bring one of the base ambulances, did you?"

"Of course I did," she told him. "Now be quiet. No complaints."

"What about Michael? He was with me," Daniel wanted to know.

"General Hammond's taken care of that," Janet told him as Daniel was wheeled outside and into the ambulance. "All you need to focus on is getting better."

"But--"

"Understand, Daniel?"

"What about security?"

"Colonel O'Neill's taking care of that," Sam said, climbing into the back of the ambulance to sit with him. "How's your head?"

"Painful. I hope Michael's okay."

"I hope so, too."

--

It had been such a long time since he'd experienced actual pain that it came as a shock. He opened his eyes and tried to sit up to determine why he was hurting, but restraints on his wrists and one across his chest stopped him. He sank back into the pillows behind him and tried to remember. This place was like the SGC infirmary, but it wasn't. The whole layout was wrong and there was no one there. The lights were too dim for him to see much, anyway. What had happened? Why was he in a strange place and why was he restrained? Where was Daniel?

"Hello, Lieutenant Campbell," he heard.

It wasn't a voice he recognized and the amount of coldness in it immediately made him wary. "Who's there?"

"Call me Simmons," the man said, stepping where Michael could see him. "It's good to meet you."

"Who are you?" Michael asked, wishing his head would stop pounding. "Where am I? What do you want with me?"

"I'm a friend," Simmons said. "You're in our infirmary in one of our facilities and for the time being, all we want is for you to get well."

"Where's Daniel?"

"Daniel? You mean Dr. Jackson? He's probably back at the SGC."

"What happened?" Michael asked. If he was here, then wasn't Daniel supposed to be there as well? "Why do I hurt?"

"Well, you took a nasty bump on the head, but our doctor says you'll be all right soon. Once you're better, then we can start to get to know you. We want to learn all about you. I'm quite looking forward to it."

"I don't understand," Michael said. Simmons. Why did that name sound so familiar? It was a name that had been in Daniel's mind, but he couldn't remember the connotation, whether Simmons was someone good or someone to be avoided.

"Try not to worry about it," Simmons said, pouring a glass of water and putting a straw into the glass. "Here. You must be thirsty by now."

Quietly and calmly Michael sipped at the water but his mind was running overtime. "Do you know Daniel?"

"Of course."

"Why am I here? If you found me, shouldn't you have taken me back to the SGC?" Was this man affiliated with the base in some way? Was that how he knew Daniel?

"No, we didn't want to take you back to the SGC," Simmons said, setting aside the cup of water once Michael indicated he'd had enough. "They wouldn't have allowed us to talk with you, and that's what we want. We know a lot about you already, but now we want to know more."

Now he was confused. "What do you mean?"

"We know that until a short while ago you were not human at all. We know that you were an alien being that simply used the name Being and you were instrumental in removing the Ashah from Earth. We want to know all about the alien being who was able to do what he did against the Ashah. We want to know all about you, your people, and your planet."

"What are you talking about?" Michael said, pulling at the restraints on his wrists. This was not good! This man knew the truth!

"Oh, come now, Lieutenant Michael Campbell," Simmons said, as if the name and rank were a private joke. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Once you're better, you'll talk to me. That, I'm sure of."

Michael lay there, not certain what to do or if he could do anything.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 35

"For the millionth time, I'm absolutely fine!"

"And for the millionth and first time, I'm telling you you're not!"

"Janet! I feel just fine! Please!"

"_No_, Daniel!"

"Oh, come on!"

Jack paused just outside the infirmary doors and reflected that there were times when Daniel was a pretty bad patient. He'd just been up at Hammond's office to debrief and do all of that lovely stuff when he'd really wanted to see how Daniel was, but maybe he could go back and debrief again. Anything would be better than walking into _that_.

"Daniel, you're not going to get up and go haring off to search for Michael! I'm telling you that if you don't be quiet immediately and let yourself rest, I'm going to put you in restraints just like Colonel O'Neill suggested, got me?"

Ohhh, yeah. There was _no_ way on God's green earth he was going to go in there now. _Thanks, Doc. Thanks a whole lot._

Daniel tried a different track. "Janet, was there anything on the scans that said I wasn't fine?" Ahh, he was speaking in that 'I'm oh-so-reasonable-but-really-plan-on-doing-just-what-I-want' tone. The first couple of times Daniel had used it, Jack had fallen for it (and occasionally he _still_ fell for it if he was tired or had had a couple beers), but fortunately Janet wasn't such a soft touch.

"No, there wasn't," she admitted. "However, that doesn't mean you're getting out of bed."

"Janet…"

"Quiet," Janet interrupted. "You've been sharing your mind and body with an alien entity for months now and we don't know how a head injury would affect you now. Also, you had a head injury in that car accident, so you need to spend at least a couple of days under observation. Two head injuries in less than six months are not good, Daniel, so there's no way you're leaving before I feel you should. Do you understand?"

"But what about Michael? He must have no idea what's going on! We don't know where he is!"

"The rest of SG-1 is working on that," Janet reminded him.

"But he must be so scared!"

"Daniel Jackson, you listen to me," Janet said in her take-no-prisoners tone. "You wearing yourself into the ground will not help Michael, and doing yourself a possible injury isn't going to help him, either! You need rest and you need to heal, got me? Besides, give Michael a little credit. He's been in your mind and observing human nature for a while. He's not a babe in the woods, Daniel. He's been with you through several kidnappings; he'll know what to do in order to survive and get away, just like you did."

"I had _him_ to help me, though," Daniel pointed out. "When it all got to be too much, he was there for me. He distracted me by giving me other things to think about, he comforted me when I was discouraged, and he let me know I wasn't alone. If he hadn't been there I'm pretty sure I'd have gone crazy, and he doesn't have anyone to do that for him wherever he is now. I'm going crazy down here with no way to get to him and no way to help him."

Okay, _now_ he could go in. Timing, it was all about timing. He slipped inside and waved hi to Janet, who headed to her office to give the two men a modicum of privacy. "Hey, Daniel. I heard what you were saying and I've just been debriefing with General Hammond."

Daniel looked at him, expectant. "What did he say?"

"Well, if Michael didn't whack you over the head and take off on his own--"

Daniel snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Then it is possible that someone here on Earth took him. Hammond's been in touch with a few sources and it seems that the NID have been really busy lately. Nobody knows where Simmons and his little group of henchmen are, so it stands to reason that they might be keeping Michael somewhere and trying to get him to debrief to them."

"I told Michael about Simmons and the NID," Daniel said. "Not a lot, but enough to let him know that they were bad news. I just hope to God he remembers."

"Ten to one, he will," Jack said. "I mean, he's been in your head for how long?"

"Long enough," Janet called from her office.

"Exactly," Jack said. "He'll be fine. He'll know what to do."

"That's what I keep trying to explain to Janet," Daniel groaned. "He'll know what to do, yes, but he's alone. He's seen human nature through my eyes mostly and I don't always see people clearly. You know me, I assume the best and hope they live up to my assumptions. Making assumptions with Simmons is dangerous. Simmons could do something that could seriously scare him and he wouldn't know what to do!"

Jack sat down on a handy stool. "Danny, just because he's been in your head doesn't mean he takes your assumptions for tried and true fact. He has a mind of his own and I have a strong feeling that just because he's seen the way you see people that doesn't mean that he sees them the same way. He'll come to his own conclusions, and didn't you say that you'd told him Simmons was bad? He may have seen your memories of Simmons and know for a fact that Simmons is to be approached with caution, if ever. It's more than likely that he'll have Simmons wrapped around his little finger within an hour and have him so scared of angering a superior being that Simmons apologizes and gives him a fruit basket! It's good that you're worried, but try to use a little sense, huh? Michael is an advanced being. Ten to one he knows all about human nature and then some. People are usually people everywhere, despite their species."

At last, Daniel felt himself relax a bit. "Thanks, Jack."

"No problem. I'm more than happy to do the sage-on-the-mountaintop act for you. What would you like for my next number? Person who brings you food from the commissary? I understand they're having roast chicken dinner tonight."

Daniel laughed. Jack was using his most persuasive tone of voice and he had a feeling that his friend would keep enumerating the praises of roast chicken whether Daniel wanted him to or not.

"C'mon, Danny-boy. They've got mushroom dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, hot dinner rolls with butter, peas, carrots, green beans, and they have the dessert bar set up. I know it's been a while since lunch, so how about I bring up a picnic for us and we chow down, huh?"

The last roast chicken dinner he'd had had been the one Pater had brought him, and the change in company was bound to add flavor to the food. "All right. Could you bring some for Janet, too? I'll bet she's hungry and she hasn't gone to the commissary once."

"That's because I was too busy trying to keep you in bed," she told him.

"Sure thing," Jack said. "Doc, you keep our space monkey in bed and I'll bring down enough to feed all of us, okay?"

"I'm still considering the restraints," Janet said darkly. Jack could intuit that all of her arguing with Daniel had put her in a bad mood.

"I'll stay put," Daniel promised. "I won't like it, but I'll stay where I am."

"That's the spirit," Jack said chummily, patting Daniel on the shoulder. Because it was easier to coax Daniel sometimes than fight with him, Jack decided that a little coaxing was in order. Besides, if Daniel was in a good mood then he would quit complaining, and that would mean that Janet's mood would improve. "Doc, would it be permissible for him to have his laptop and a little bit of work? Not much, just enough so that his desk isn't covered with papers when he gets back to it."

Janet tilted her head to the side and considered this, then nodded. "If he promises to take breaks when I tell him to, I don't see a problem."

"Oh, Janet, thank you," Daniel said fervently, relieved.

"Right. So, we need a laptop and some homework for Danny-boy and a feast for all of us," Jack said. "I'll be back in ten. Try not to kill each other before then, all right?"

Solemnly, Janet and Daniel both nodded, but Jack knew that this might be only a temporary peace if he didn't put some speed on his mission of mercy. He left the infirmary, hoping that neither doctor would become annoyed with the other before he got back.

As Jack left, Janet reflected on how good Colonel O'Neill was at handling people. It wasn't a surprise that he was so often called on to help General Hammond handle visitors to the base. Despite Daniel being the de facto diplomat, Jack O'Neill was a close second.

--

Ara sat on his cushion in the dayroom and found himself thinking yet again. He spent most of his time thinking. That was no surprise since the beings had given him a great deal to think about. There were only five of them, but they handled the three thousand Ashah without any difficulty. Families had been kept together, but as a whole the Ashah were watched after as if they were children, and the group who had been working with the Tau'ri were confined in the same compound where the Tau'ri had lived. The beings provided clean clothing and meals, supervised the Ashah's days, and administered punishment when they felt it was called for. Ara didn't know which was more difficult to bear, the constant supervision or the punishment. The Ashah were kept to a schedule of the beings' devising and it was irksome, to say the least. The more impatient among them lost their tempers several times a day and that led to being excluded from any activity until the angry ones were calm.

Ban and Lar were almost constantly in trouble, but Pater had actual tantrums at least once a day that led the beings to punishing him. At first, Ara had silently applauded Pater on his open defiance, but now his actions grated on nerves already raw from trying to remain calm. Didn't the child ever _learn_? And would he never stop complaining each time he was punished?

Ara was tired--he was tired from trying to fight against the beings' reasoning and patient voices, and he was tired of trying to find reasons to convince himself that the Ashah were right and the beings were the villains. It was so hard to keep telling himself that eventually they would break free of the beings when all events only served as evidence to the contrary.

They could not leave the compound. They could not move through any of the walls in order to get away from the beings. They were not able to leave the study while the beings were giving "lessons" and "talks" to the Ashah. They could not communicate telepathically with one another--how cumbersome a thing speech could be!--nor could they hide what they were thinking from the beings. Even in their dreams, the beings were there, talking to them. If the beings wanted them to do something, then they had no choice but to do it since the beings could _make_ them do it. They could even be forced to listen to what the beings were saying!

Ara remembered the one time he'd tried violence to get away from his "teachers" and he was not eager to undergo the punishment again. The beings did nothing so crude as physical chastisement--oh, no, they did something much worse.

They made the offender experience Daniel's memories.

The one time they'd punished Ara like that, he came out of the memories weeping and unable to speak. The sheer anguish and fear that Daniel had gone through was staggering, and it was because of the Ashah's actions! There were no words, no words at all, to explain or describe how that knowledge made Ara and the Ashah feel. There were no words to describe the depths of Daniel's emotions or how much pain and harm the Ashah's actions had done to him. After his punishment, Ara had cried himself to sleep and dreamed of those memories and feelings and woke himself up more than once during the night, still crying. By the next afternoon the tears had abated, but he was subdued for days afterward and extremely obedient to all of the beings' wishes. He was positive that he could not bear the punishment a second time. At least, he wouldn't be able to bear it without losing his mind.

How could Ban, Lar, and Pater stand it? True, they came out of the memories weeping and upset, but that didn't stop them from defying the beings again.

"No!" Ara heard. He whipped around and saw that Iri had snapped at some request of the being presently talking to them. Ara had noticed that about them and marveled at the difference. When the Ashah had wanted the humans to do something, they ordered them and they stood for no refusal. When the beings wanted the Asah to do something, they requested twice, insisted once, and then if the person still refused, the person was excluded until he was ready to perform the task. If he still refused after a length of time or if he lashed out at someone, then punishment was given.

"Iri, would you listen to me please?" the being asked. Second request.

"I'm tired of listening!" Iri shouted. "Leave me be!"

"Iri, you will please listen," the being told him. Insistence.

"NO!"

Ooooh. Exclusion was coming. Ara was right. A moment later the being had moved Iri away from the group with no more effort than it took to move his hand, and some invisible barrier kept Iri where he'd been placed. The barrier kept anyone from hearing the shouting Iri was clearly doing, but it was clear that if Iri did not get control of himself, he would be punished shortly.

"Now I will begin my tale," the being said. "It is the story of a planet who had sought to control others."

Their "lessons" were usually stories from the beings' history, which was vast and included countless encounters with other races and other worlds. Each encounter became a part of the beings' historical canon and there was so much of it that Ara marveled that any of the beings were brave enough to become historians. The beings were a patient and non-violent race, but they understood that occasionally, despite being non-violent, defensive action was called for. In Daniel's mind, the beings were like a mix of the Asgard and the Nox. Each lesson usually illustrated some point, but the most common point was that it was not all right to try taking over a people's fate by taking it into your own hands. It was all right to interact with other species and other worlds as long as such interaction did not influence the other races unduly, such as radically limiting their development or directing it to suit you.

When the lessons and talks had first begun, Ara had tried his best to ignore them, but the beings were compelling storytellers, and there was little other distraction within the compound. Idly, Ara wondered if the being in Daniel's mind had told him stories to distract or comfort him and realized that he must have done so. Daniel loved history and learning about other people and cultures, so the being would not waste a chance to offer a gold mine of entertainment and distraction.

"You will please think about what I have told you," the being said as he finished his tale some time later. "Think about how their actions compared to those you took with Daniel."

As the being rose to deal with Iri, Ara felt his mind considering what he had just heard. The beings' control was incredible: Not only could they influence someone body and mind, but they could also make that person _think_ about a certain topic. Once the beings requested them to think about something, then they had no choice but to think about it.

"You come in here and lecture us about keeping other people prisoner, but what do you think you're doing to us?" Iri demanded as the barrier was taken down.

"We're trying to help you, Iri," the being said patiently.

"We don't need your help!"

"Didn't Daniel and the Tau'ri need your help?" the being reminded him.

"Of course they did!"

"Then you also need our help."

If anything, that statement, delivered so calmly and with such assurance, made Iri lose it. He started shouting that the beings were nothing more than intruders who delighted in tormenting others and that they had no right whatsoever to do what they were doing. Iri heaped abuse upon the beings, calling them names that shocked even some of the Ashah. Ara began praying that Iri would get a hold of his temper before he did something stupid, like keep talking.

"I am sorry you feel that way, Iri," the being told him, sounding genuinely sorry. "I am only trying to help."

"We don't need your help!" Iri exploded, and he swung his fist at the being's head. The being moved out of the way easily and Iri sank to the floor a moment later, his mind filled with Daniel's memories. A moment after that and Ara heard Iri's first sob, a heartbroken sound that reminded Ara of his own experience of Daniel's memories and he shuddered. He watched as the being sat beside Iri and held him, gently rocking him back and forth, the way one would comfort a child. Ara reflected that the only times any of them had offered such closeness to Daniel had been when they wanted to make a point, rather than comfort him.

"We do not want you to inflict such pain on another being," the being said. "He could not bear it, and you cannot bear the same pain. Would you wish to cause so much anguish to another being again?"

Iri couldn't answer, but he shook his head, still sobbing.

"It is awful but you can keep yourself from doing it again," the being was saying. "We will help you and your people, Iri. All you need to do is listen."

_Listen,_ Ara thought. _It sounds so simple. I don't know if we have a choice anymore._

Ara knew that the being had heard him, for it glanced at him over Iri's head. Instead of that glance chilling him as he'd expected it to, suddenly he felt warm and comfortable. He felt, deep down, that the being actually cared for him.

Remarkable. Remarkable, surprising, but very, very good.

--

"Hello, Lieutenant," Simmons said brightly, waking him. "How did you sleep?"

"Not enough," Michael said, blinking in the sudden glare of the room's lights. "Could you come back later?"

Simmons actually chuckled. "I have to say, you have a very good sense of humor. It's very refreshing!"

Michael decided not to comment.

Simmons stopped at his silence and looked at him. "What's the matter? Not in the mood to talk?"

"Not really," Michael told him, confirming his supposition. "Why? Is there something to talk about?"

"You've been here three days and you keep insisting that there's nothing you can tell us," Simmons told him. "I'm starting to think that you're trying to mislead us."

Michael echoed Simmons' chuckle. "How can I help myself? You've given me such lovely accommodations that I want to stay as long as possible."

He was still on a bed in the infirmary and still in restraints, but they didn't appear to bother him. Any of SG-1 would have been complaining within an hour of waking up, but this man was...patient. Very, very patient when compared with SG-1. To Simmons' mind, that was only proof that this man was the alien they'd heard about at the SGC. There was other, physical proof as well. This man's eyes could perceive the entire light spectrum, which was far beyond the capabilities of a human. According to what visual tests had told the doctor, this man's visual acuity was literally that of a hawk. Added to that, he had hearing that could discern almost anyone's voice in the building, and the fact that those people might be on other floors made no difference.

The NID, realizing that alien beings had started to show a great deal of interest in Dr. Jackson, had taken the liberty of bugging the man's car and apartment, and what Michael Campbell had said about his being "about as human" as Dr. Jackson had to be fiction. It was if you considered only the man's sight and hearing abilities, but it was the rest of the dear Lieutenant's abilities (and the abilities of his people!) that Simmons was interested in. It was those abilities that Michael had yet to display.

"I was wondering if you would like to get up today," Simmons said. "You're obviously recovered and we would like to get to know you."

"And what is it that I'm recovering from?" Michael asked, his tone informing Simmons that he was not fooled in the slightest. "I seem to remember fighting some men and then having a wet handkerchief soaked with something foul pressed over my face. What was it? Chloroform? Ether?"

"What are you implying?" Simmons asked, hoping to convince him that his memories were faulty.

Michael raised an eyebrow. Oh, yes, this man had definitely been hanging out with SG-1. He'd absorbed all of their little mannerisms, and right now the look Michael was giving him was all Teal'c. "You have to be delusional. My memory is not faulty, Simmons, and I was not dreaming. I know what happened to me and you've wasted most of these last three days trying to convince me otherwise. It won't work."

"Any other human would have begun to doubt what he'd seen," Simmons said, slightly gleeful at Michael's demonstration of his offworld origins.

"Any other human would have lost his temper by now, but then, I'm a very patient man," Michael retorted. "You say you want to know about me and my people and I've told you about us, but you aren't satisfied with the answers I've given you. I don't know what more you want."

"You're pretending that you're just about human," Simmons said. "Why not drop the act and show us what you really are?"

Michael gave a short bark of laughter. "But this is what I am. I'm sorry I'm not what you were hoping for. If you want something a little different, why not ask Steven Spielburg? He could probably find you an ET."

Simmons kept his temper with Herculean effort. He was not making this easy. "Why don't we pursue this conversation later? You must want a shower and a hot meal, and I'll stop by later to see how you are, all right?"

Michael considered this. "If you wish. I won't have anything new to tell you, though."

"Oh, we'll see."

Michael was left alone to think about that while two orderlies came. They released the restraints and while he was in the shower one of them must have gotten him fresh clothes, which he pulled on with a little prayer of thanks. Three days in the same clothes got old very quickly and it was good to have fresh ones to put on. He was tired of being strapped to a hospital bed and all that required, not to mention the difficulties involved when he needed to use the bathroom! It didn't look like Simmons was going to make him remain in bed now, for which he was thankful. No, he was planning something else. Just what, well, Michael had a feeling he wouldn't have to wait long to find out.

He was right. Simmons returned just as he was finishing his breakfast, carrying a manila folder and wearing a smug expression. "Hello, Michael."

"Hello," Michael replied calmly. Such an expression could not be good news. "Toast?"

"No, thank you," Simmons said as he took a seat across from him. "I have something to show you." He handed the folder to Michael and waited while he paged through it.

Inside it were pictures--pictures in the form he was in now, stills from what had to be a SGC security tape when he'd gone through the Gate, pictures of when he was still sharing Daniel's body, and pictures of just Daniel. He looked at two of the latter two side by side and realized that there was some slight, but still palpable, sign of his presence. Hmmm. All the NID would have to do would be to show these two pictures to someone with more authority than General Hammond and persuade that person (wasn't the technical term for such a person 'high mucky-muck'? He could remember it from Daniel's memories and thought the term seemed apt) that Daniel had been compromised and should be taken into protective custody for examination and questioning. Just as troubling was the fact that Simmons now had actual proof that he was something other than human.

This was bad. Very, very bad.

"I see I don't have to tell you what these photos imply," Simmons said chummily. "I have a good many copies of those, so you can keep them if you like."

Michael looked at him. "Who in the SGC is supplying you with information?"

"Now, you must know that nothing of the kind is occurring, Lieutenant."

"Right," Michael said, more than a little disgusted. Did Simmons honestly think he could get the information he wanted by playing these games?

Apparently, he did. "So, Michael, why don't we go over those questions I asked you yesterday? I'm sure you'll have much more interesting answers this time."

Michael stayed in his chair, clutching the photos and struggling to stay calm. He would have to find a way out of this not only for his own sake, but for Daniel's as well.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 36

Simmons didn't quite know what to make of Lieutenant Michael Campbell. Despite having seen the photos of himself both as human and in his other form, he refused to say anything that would further explain what he was. Simmons would ask what his people called themselves, what they called their world, what was the Gate address to it, and what it was his people were capable of doing. While Michael answered every question, he gave evasive answers. What did his people call themselves? Why, the People, of course. What did they call their world? Home. What else would they call it? The Gate address? That was buried in his subconscious and he did not have access to it. (Whenever Simmons asked him to explain that comment, Michael answered that he didn't know; for him, it was a fact of life and he'd never questioned it.) What were they capable of doing? Surely Simmons knew the answer to that! After all, he had the photos and voice recordings and other information, couldn't he figure out their capabilities for himself?

"But I want _you_ to tell me," Simmons said patiently.

Michael tilted his head to one side, as if thinking. "I don't understand, Simmons," he said. "Why are you asking me a question that you already know the answer to?"

Simmons ground his teeth and looked annoyed. Michael knew that he was annoying Simmons and irritating the man to no little end, but he couldn't give Simmons the answers he wanted. If his own instincts hadn't warned him, Daniel's descriptions of Simmons and the organization he worked for would have been enough to put him on his guard. As it was, he had a double-whammy of caution to keep up and he couldn't tell Simmons anything. Simmons was keeping him alive since he thought he could get information from him. He didn't want the man to think that he'd outlived any potential usefulness.

"All right, let's focus on just you," Simmons said, changing tracks. "How old are you?"

"That's on my ID."

"Not your human age, I'm talking about your actual age," Simmons clarified. "How old are you in Earth years?"

"Ummm…." Michael did the math in his head and decided not to tell Simmons the answer. He didn't need to know that. "About the same number of years, I think."

Simmons gave him a look. "You can't be serious."

Michael returned the look. "I am."

"Oookaaay," Simmons drawled, jotting the figure down. "What about your parents and your family? Are your parents still living? Any brothers or sisters?"

Michael nearly laughed at that. "Of course I have siblings! We run to a big family, really."

Simmons smiled. "How many brothers and how many sisters?"

Michael seemed surprised. "You know, I've never actually counted them. Like I said, we run to a big family."

Simmons jotted that down, too. "What about your parents?"

Michael thought about his parents. "Parents" on his world did not match the "parents" on this world. On his world, anyone could parent a child but only about half the population was fertile and conditions had to be just right to conceive and carry a child to term. After the birth, conditions had to be right in order for the child to mature to the right age so he or she could survive later maturation. Since the chances for losing a child were so high, everyone joined in raising children and no one begrudged anyone contact with any child. You had parents who brought you into the world, parents who saw to your physical needs, parents who fed you, parents who healed you (that was almost every adult), parents who played with you and amused you, parents who taught you, and all parents gave you affection. Given the many distinctions among parents, Michael wondered if he could explain them all or if Simmons would even understand. "They're still living."

"Do you think they might be getting worried that you've been gone for so long?"

Michael shook his head. "They know I can care for myself. They taught me well."

"Do you have children?"

Michael looked at Simmons, more than a little surprised at the man's intrusive rudeness. He was human, yes, and he didn't know the social mores and customs of Michael's world, but werent' there _limits_? "Do you think I would tell you if I did?" Although he had not helped to create a child, such a thing was considered a very private matter and it was not discussed unless absolutely necessary. What did it matter if you had created a child as long as that child existed and was loved and happy?

"I'm sorry if I've offended you," Simmons said smoothly. "I did not think you would take offense."

"It's all right; you didn't know," Michael said grudgingly. If Simmons could be gracious about this, he supposed he could do the same…Still, it bothered him. Why was Simmons interested in children? "Just out of curiosity, why did you ask?"

Simmons smiled. "Oh, curiosity."

Now, why didn't Michael believe him? He let it drop, but he thought about it from time to time over the next few days. He worked on keeping himself calm, on revealing nothing, and on trying to understand Simmons. The last was probably the most difficult task he could have set himself, but it was not impossible. No, all he had to do was keep at it, keep thinking and seeking to understand the man, and eventually he _would_ understand what motivated the man and how the man thought. Once he understood that, then he would be able to influence him and hopefully get Simmons onto his side in some small measure. That small amount of sympathy would mean that Simmons would let down his guard a bit and hopefully leave an opening for Michael's escape.

With the way the situation stood now, he could be any one of three things: He could be reading the situation correctly, he could have read it wrong, or he could be wildly optimistic.

Maybe he was all three. Such situations had happened before, and individuals had been wrong and right over the millennia. One would think that the states of "right" and "wrong" were mutually exclusive, but they were not. Provoking, but that was the way it was.

One morning Michael was in his room--he was rarely anywhere else in this place--and trying to figure out ways in which to get Simmons to let his guard down. Truth be told, he wasn't having much success, but he still had to try. He was in the midst of thought when Simmons arrived, carrying a box. "Hello, Michael."

Michael abandoned his attempt to think and turned his attention to Simmons. "Hello."

"I've brought you something."

Michael hoped it was reading material. He was beginning to crave stimulation that did not involve question and answer sessions with Simmons. "Really?"

"Yes," Simmons said, carefully placing the box on the floor. "Go ahead and open it."

Michael opened the flaps on the box and stared down at...what in the name of all stars was _that_? All he saw was a mound of moving...hair? What _was_ that? He was about to back away from the box when the thing shifted and its outline became clearer: it was a small dog, somewhat asleep. "A dog?"

"I thought you'd like the company," Simmons said. "What do you think?"

Michael stared down at the sleeping dog, uncertain. "I don't know."

"Go ahead and pick him up," Simmons suggested. "He was very friendly when I picked him up earlier."

Michael did as Simmons suggested and it took a moment for the puppy to wake up, but in the next second it was all over him, licking his face and climbing up his chest and declaring his lap the perfect place to be. Michael tried to corral the pup and started laughing, trying to defend his face from the onslaught of puppy greeting. Couldn't it just bark hello instead of trying to lick him to death? Right now the puppy was whimpering and wagging his tail and trying to lick everything of Michael it could reach--his hands, his face, his chest, his arms, and even his hair--and Michael couldn't help himself. This was a warm, wiggly little creature full of love and only wanted to be loved in return. Michael pulled the puppy close and held it, scratching it behind its ears. It didn't matter if Simmons planned to take the pup away after a while. The dog was now _his._ "What kind of dog is he?"

"A mix of two or three breeds," Simmons said. "Looks like he's got some beagle in him, though, and maybe a little terrier."

Michael looked at the puppy and considered this, thinking about the images of different dogs that he'd seen in Daniel's mind. "Maybe. What's his name?"

"He doesn't have one yet," Simmons told him. "You get to name him."

Michael looked down at the ball of fur he held. He had to have the perfect name. "Hmmm. I'll have to think about that."

After getting the puppy, life was no longer boring. The puppy would wake him up in the morning by sticking its cold nose into his face and licking him. One of the staff would come to take the puppy outside (Michael still wasn't allowed to go outside) and would come back with him just as Michael was finishing getting ready for the day. They would have breakfast together (with Michael feeding the puppy tidbits) and training would start. Michael was teaching the puppy all sorts of tricks and both of them enjoyed working them out. So far the puppy could sit, lie down, roll over, speak, give a paw, give two paws, sit up, and they were working on fetch. Simmons brought him all sorts of puppy supplies: bowls, food, a brush, a collar and leash, doggy bed, treats, rawhide bones, and toys. They played toss and catch, tug of war, chase, and they were still working on fetch. The puppy seemed far more interested in chewing on his toys than fetching them. Initially Michael wanted to name the dog either Jack (who loved dogs) or Daniel (who was as curious as the puppy) but Michael understood that it was something of an insult in the present culture to name a dog after someone you knew. Instead, Michael named the puppy Sprint since that was all he seemed to do. Sprint learned his name pretty quickly and it was a treat to watch him bound around the room in response to his name. After learning tricks they would have lunch (Michael would sneak more tidbits to Sprint under the table) and after lunch came a rest. Sprint would curl up anywhere in the room but on his bed and fall asleep, only to wake up an hour or so later to change his location. Often he would end up in Michael's lap to continue his nap and Michael would amuse himself either with one of the few books Simmons had provided or with petting Sprint. The puppy would often whine a little in his sleep whenever his ears were scratched and he found that vastly amusing. Sprint's naps often lasted until dinner, where there would be more scraps and tidbits given to him in addition to his dog food, and after dinner came down time. Once Michael headed to bed Sprint stayed on his own bed until he was certain Michael was almost asleep before bounding up to join him. Invariably he landed on Michael's stomach, but Michael didn't mind. Sprint was company. Sprint was a little living being that enjoyed his company and was on his side. Sprint was something to hold in the night when bad dreams (interesting things, dreams) and worries kept him awake.

Yes, he worried. He worried about what Simmons was planning and he worried about how long they were planning on keeping him. He worried about what they might do to him in order to make him answer their questions. Most of all he worried about Daniel and SG-1 and how all of them were. He missed Daniel's company most of all, but he also missed Daniel's friends. He missed Jack's humor, Sam's intelligence and quiet patience, and Teal'c's steadfast presence. Other than Simmons, Michael didn't have a person to talk to since the workers and orderlies never even looked at him, let alone spoke, and Sprint couldn't hold a conversation that included something besides little whines and barks.

One morning he was teaching Sprint (fetch still wasn't happening) and Simmons arrived, looking very happy about something. "Hello, Michael."

Michael looked at him, saw he was accompanied by two guards and began to feel apprehensive. "Hello. What's going on?"

"I have a surprise for you," Simmons said. "If you'll come with me?"

Michael got up, still holding Sprint.

"You can leave the dog," Simmons told him.

"He'll get lonely!" Michael protested, not putting him down. "He comes."

Simmons sighed. "Oh, all right. Let's go."

"Where are we going?"

"Downstairs for a little bit. Come on."

Cautiously Michael followed him. This change could be good or it could be bad, but he really wouldn't know until they got to wherever they were going. Simmons led him through the halls to an elevator and if Michael were counting correctly, they went down two floors. Once there, Simmons led him through some more halls and finally to a door.

"Is this where we're going?"

"This is it," Simmons confirmed. "Let's go in."

Inside, the room looked just like a sitting room, with comfortable couches, chairs, lamps, and a table and chairs over in the corner. The room's occupant was sitting on a couch, waiting patiently. Next to her was a light blue bag and in her arms...

"Michael, this is Alyssa," Simmons said, putting a hand on his shoulder and leading him toward the couch. "She works here, but she's been gone for a while since she's just had a baby. I asked her if she'd do the favor of showing off her son."

"I'm always eager to do that," Alyssa said, laughing. "Hello, Michael. Pleased to meet you."

"The same," Michael said, staring at the little bundle in her arms. "A baby?"

If anything, her smile grew wider. "Yes! Come see!"

Carefully, Michael put Sprint down so he could wander the room and approached the couch. Why would Simmons bring him here to see a baby? He couldn't fathom it, but now that there was one for him to examine at close range, his natural curiosity egged him on. He'd never seen a human infant up close.

Alyssa patted the cushions next to her in an invitation for Michael to sit down. Once he was seated she shifted so he had a better view of the bundled-up infant, and one look later he found he'd forgotten to breathe.

Beautiful. There was no other word that came approximately close, nor did there seem to be a word more appropriate. The little living scrap of humanity in Alyssa's arms was so incredibly beautiful that for quite a few moments his brain forgot to work. He took in everything at a glance: the little nose, the bright wide-open eyes, the tiny hands and feet that poked out of the blanket, and the little mouth that was smiling up at him.

The experience reminded him strongly of when he'd read Daniel. There was the same rush of emotion; a fierce protectiveness, sudden tenderness and concern, overshadowed by an overwhelming awe and thankfulness to the universe that one's existence had brought one into contact with such a living being. Directly after that was a flood of thoughts about the little being in front of him, mostly the wish to hold him. No, that wasn't right. Although Daniel had given him permission to hold him from time to time, this child's mother should hold him. That was only right and proper.

"Would you like to hold him?"

Had his longing shown on his face that clearly?

"It's all right; I don't mind," she said. "Hold your arms like mine and I'll hand him to you."

Michael did as he was told and suddenly he had a warm little bundle in his arms, one that wiggled a little and looked up at him. "He's wonderful. What's his name?"

"You'll laugh," she said. "His name is James Michael, James after my brother, and Michael after my father. I call him Jimmy for short, though."

Michael smiled. "No, I won't laugh. It sounds nice."

Michael enjoyed the rest of his time with little Jimmy. He held him, patted his back, cuddled him, and later he got to give him his bottle and try to burp him. (Alyssa had had to take over on that duty, though, since Michael was too nervous to pat him hard enough to make him burp.) Also, he got to play with the little guy, shaking one of his toys over his head so he would laugh. Jimmy loved the noise and laughed whenever he heard it. Only when Jimmy fell asleep did Alyssa take him back and settle him in a carrier. "I should get him home for his nap, but I'm glad you enjoyed his company, Michael. Would you like to see him again?"

"I'd like that very much," Michael admitted, watching the sleeping infant. He'd more than like it--he'd love it! He wanted to see this baby as much as possible and get to know him, much as he'd gotten to know Daniel.

"Then we'll be back," she promised. "See you soon." She and Jimmy left, leaving him and Simmons alone.

"Did you enjoy that?" Simmons asked.

Michael fought down a smile. "Very much. I would like to know why you arranged this for me, though. I don't quite understand why you did it."

"Does everything have to have an ulterior motive?" Simmons asked pleasantly. "I merely thought that seeing a human child might be a good experience for you."

Michael didn't say anything, but he looked at Simmons.

"That's really what I thought, Michael," Simmons hastened to reassure him.

"You'll forgive me if I don't believe you right away," Michael told him, picking up Sprint. "I'd like to go back to my quarters now."

--

The SGC was not an easy place to be with an edgy Daniel Jackson. So far, none of their searches had turned up anything and that only made Daniel more frantic. It looked as if Michael had disappeared off the face of the Earth--which, knowing the NID and Simmons, that wasn't too impossible, but Jack had a feeling that Simmons wanted to keep Michael on the NID's "home turf" so to speak. The fact that they had learned nothing in the days since Michael had disappeared meant that Daniel was going absolutely nuts.

It wasn't like he was running around the base screaming that they had to hurry and find Michael, it was that he didn't _do_ anything like freaking out. He just got really, really quiet, and that worried Jack more than anything else. You really couldn't tell what was going through Danny-boy's head when he was like this unless he opened his mouth. So, now Jack was on his way to Daniel's office (Janet had relented two days ago and allowed Daniel to return to work on the condition that he go to the infirmary for a daily checkup) to try to get the suddenly-quiet archeologist to open up a little. Either that, or Jack would pull Mackenzie to the base and let him have a go at it.

Jack slowed up as he reached Daniel's office and peeked in, hoping that Daniel was there and in a receptive mood. Nothing was worse than a cranky Daniel. He spotted Daniel at his desk, crouched over some books and papers. "Do you really have to lurk?"

"Hey, I'm a colonel, that's part of my job," Jack said lightly. "Came to see how you were doing and all that colonel-y stuff."

Daniel looked at him and the expression on his face told Jack that Daniel really wasn't in a mood to talk or even interact with anyone. "I'm fine, Jack."

"You don't seem fine," Jack said bravely, certain that such a comment would set loose the beast of Cranky Daniel.

Daniel sighed and put his head down on the desk. "That's what everyone's been saying. You, Janet, Sam, the general, even Teal'c, and don't get me started on the other staff! I'm really okay."

Jack didn't have to say his next thought out loud, but he did anyway. "If you're so okay, how come you've turned into a hermit since you left the infirmary? You don't go to the commissary and the only times you leave your office are when it's absolutely necessary. I know you're worried about Michael, but you gotta spare at least a little time for you, Danny-boy."

Daniel sat up and glared at him. "I take plenty of time for me, it's just that no one sees me doing it, so they think I'm not. I'm fine."

Jack fought down a sigh as he realized that he wasn't about to get Daniel to agree with him. "All right, all right. I won't drive you crazy with this. Just answer me these few questions, okay?"

Daniel nodded.

"Are you eating, and how are you getting food?"

"I have a deal set up with the commissary," Daniel told him. "As long as my plates keep coming back mostly empty they'll keep bringing me meals. I _do_ get hungry occasionally, you know. This way, I get food, and I don't have to leave my work. We both win."

Jack almost chuckled. Trust the people in the commissary to be so wily as that in an effort to get Daniel to eat! "Okay, next question. How many hours do you sleep a night?"

Daniel looked as if he considered saying something other than the truth, but he looked at Jack's face and seemed to decide against it. "About six."

"Make it seven and a half and I'll do what I can to get Janet to leave you alone," Jack bribed.

Daniel actually gave a dry laugh. "Please, Jack. Not even you can stand against Janet Frasier."

"It was worth a shot," Jack said. "How about seven hours? Just seven hours?"

"Will you take it to the general or Janet if I don't?"

"Yes."

Daniel sighed. "Then I'll go to bed an hour earlier tonight."

"Okay, last question," Jack said as he saw Daniel reach for patience. "How often do you take a break?"

"Whenever someone comes in, which is quite often," Daniel said pointedly. "We talk for a few minutes and when they leave I go back to work."

Jack nodded. "Okay. But if you feel you need a break and there's no one there..."

"Then I walk around the base for a little bit," Daniel confessed testily. Then his tone changed. "Honest, Jack. I'm pacing myself."

"All right," Jack said, somewhat reassured. "I'm sure I'm not the only person to say this to you today, but if you need to talk or anything..."

"I know," Daniel said quietly. "Thanks, Jack."

"Anytime. What is it you're working on?"

"That Proto-Sintic device," Daniel said, holding up a photo. "You know, the one that Sam calls a decorative paperweight with a battery?"

Jack laughed. "Oh, yes. That. How's it going?"

"Very, very slowly. I'm starting to think it's not Proto-Sintic at all, really. It's something else."

"Did Michael ever mention the device or what was written on it?"

"Only to say he wouldn't tell me what it was," Daniel said, sounding a little miffed. "I know that it's always more satisfying to figure a problem out on your own, but sometimes a little hint would be nice."

"Are you thinking that something on that device would give us a way to find Michael?"

"That's what I'm hoping," Daniel said. "It may tell us something about his people so we can find him. God knows our attempts to contact his world haven't come to much."

Jack thought about that, too. They'd tried calling Michael's world but no one had picked up the phone and there wasn't even an answering machine.

"I'm hoping I'll find at least something," Daniel repeated, rubbing his eyes. "What time is it?"

"About eleven," Jack told him, holding out his watch so Daniel could see it.

"I'd better go get some sleep," Daniel said reluctantly. "See you tomorrow?"

"Sure thing," Jack told him. "Bright and early."

To say he felt relieved was an understatement, Daniel reflected as he headed to his quarters that night. Jack was willing to let him be as long as he was careful and allowed everyone to see that while he was working hard, he was also taking care of himself. Without Jack (or anyone else, for that matter!) frantically mother-henning him, he would be able to work without major distractions and it was likely that he would get a great deal more done. Solving the idea of a worried Jack O'Neill had been easy compared with the task of locating Michael. The SGC knew of at least ten houses, four facilities, and five office buildings they owned around the country, but they had no way of knowing if that were all of them. Michael could be anywhere, but that didn't mean that he was going to give up. No, he was going to keep trying, working on every approach he could, following every avenue of inquiry, until he either heard from Michael or found some clue as to where he was.

He showered, pulled on his nightclothes, and crawled into bed. He was tired and maybe Jack had a point in suggesting he get at least seven hours a night instead of the six he'd been living on lately. He curled up and switched off the light, too tired even to read. He fell asleep shortly afterward, but he jerked awake in the dark some time later, not certain what had woken him. He stayed very still and listened, wondering if a dream had woken him instead of some imagined noise.

Suddenly, lassitude overcame him and he sank into his pillows. The sensation was so familiar that he almost wept with relief_. Being? Michael? I hope that's you..._

_I'm sorry, Daniel_, a very different voice said. If that odd lassitude hadn't been holding him where he was, he would have bolted upright.

Daniel fought to focus his thoughts_. Who are you? Are you in my head?_

_You haven't invited me to do that_, the voice told him_. Your people dialed the Stargate to our world while we were gone and we wondered why you had done it, so I was sent to check. Where is our brother? I cannot find him here_.

Daniel opened up his mind so this being could see his memories--Michael as a human, going out, and then the attack and his disappearance.

_I see._

_You don't sound worried at all,_ Daniel said, surprised. _The NID are bad news for people from offworld!_

_Our brother is cautious; he will not do anything to draw danger to himself, _the being said.

_Can't you find him and bring him back?_ Daniel wanted to know. _You're here. You could find him. He could always find _me.

_I would be able to find him if I knew his human mind patterns, the same way he knew yours, but I do not know them, _the being said_. His mind will not be the same again until he hears the neural trigger you told me about. Until then, there is little I can actually do to find him_.

Daniel groaned. He'd begun to think that the beings could fix almost anything, but the universe had a way of reminding you that plans and circumstances could change pretty quickly. Unbidden came all the feelings of worry he'd had for Michael since waking up in that wretched ranger's station.

_Just because there is little I can do does not mean that there is nothing I _can_ do_, the being admonished him gently.

Daniel looked in the direction the voice seemed to be coming from_. You can do something_? Relief flooded through him_. What can you do_?

_The both of us can send him comfort_, the being told him_. Just because his mind is contained within a human brain doesn't mean his mind is human. He will still be able to hear and feel certain things. Will you allow me to see your thoughts and to send them to him_?

_Yes_! Daniel said without hesitation, relieved at there finally being something he could actually do_. What do I have to do? _

_Just lie still and allow me into your mind,_ the being told him. _Your mind might try to resist at first since I am not my brother, but do what you can to help me. Keep yourself relaxed and calm. My seeing your thoughts may be a bit uncomfortable for you, but if it there is pain let me know and I will stop immediately. Our brother can read your body's signals easily while I cannot. You understand?_

He had to ask. _Will there be permanent damage if there's pain?_

_No. Maybe just a headache. Will you allow me into your mind?_

_Yes._

There was no pain, but the sensation was very, very odd. He remained still, focusing on being relaxed and calm, and in the space of a few seconds he felt all the regard he had for Michael come to the fore. Combined with that was the love and affection this being felt for his--no, _her!_--brother and Daniel came out of the link a moment later, almost weeping at the force of that love. He would have said he couldn't believe it, but he knew that what he had perceived was real and there was no reason to doubt it.

_Did I hurt you?_

_No,_ Daniel told her, glad that she didn't have to worry about possibly having hurt him. _I'm fine. Not even a headache._

_I am glad, youngling. I have sent the memories to my brother and he will receive them within the next minute. Thank you for letting me do that._

_I was glad I could, _Daniel said, more relieved than he could say. _He'll be all right?_

_He'll be fine,_ she assured him. _Now, forgive me for sounding motherly, but you should go to sleep. It is late and you need your rest._

_Will you be here when I wake up?_ Daniel asked, hoping that that would be the case.

_I must return home to let the others know what happened. I will come back in a few days to see how you are getting on with the search._

_Don't you think you could tell me what that device says?_

She chuckled. _I won't tell you what it says but I will tell you that it will not help find Michael. It doesn't contain that type of information on it._

_Darn. Well, now I can devote my energies to helping others search._

_That's the spirit. I have a feeling that it will be only a short while before you see my brother. Sleep well, youngling. _

With that, she was gone, leaving Daniel to wonder what she meant.


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 37

Michael was deeply asleep when something brought out him out of it. What was that? It felt…familiar, somehow. A moment later he knew what it was and he almost broke down into tears. The comforting love and care of two well-known and beloved individuals flooded over him and he dropped back into the pillows behind his head, surrounded in their feelings. One of his sisters had come to Earth and she'd spoken with Daniel, and together they'd sent their good wishes and feelings for him. It made all the difference.

Although he allowed very, very little of his feelings and emotions to show, Simmons had strong intuition and Michael was sure he could tell that he wasn't doing well. He was stressed and worried, much of the time, and when he played with Sprint his actions bordered almost on the frantic, his body trying to burn off the majority of his nervous energy. Now, however, thanks to this message, he felt as if nothing Simmons could do could touch him and he was deeply thankful.

Simmons had not been cruel; he was only demanding with his questions and a constant presence, and that was enough to wear on Michael. He didn't understand why Simmons would not accept his answers (perhaps Simmons knew he was keeping things back? Possible.) but the man was implacable. Still, there were some things that Michael couldn't tell him and there were a great many more things that he _wouldn't_ tell him and Simmons didn't seem to get that.

Another thing that bothered Michael was the fact that Simmons was planning something. He didn't know what it was and he didn't know how to find out, but he was certain that he wasn't going to like it.

It was times like these that he wished he still had the ability to read minds, but that ability, along with most of his others, was locked deep inside his human mind. There was no way for him to unlock them unless he heard the neural triggers.

He was still thinking about his situation when he got up in the morning and he thought about it all through breakfast and playing with Sprint. He didn't know what had motivated Simmons to do it, but he was glad that the man had given him the puppy for company. Otherwise, he was sure he would have gone batty a while ago. Sprint was company who liked him, and that was what he needed.

"Hello, Michael."

Michael nearly jumped out of his skin. "Yaaah! Simmons!"

"You didn't hear me come in?"

Michael looked at him, his heart beating a frantic two-step in his chest. "No! For the love all that's holy, don't _do_ that!"

Simmons stared at him. "You really didn't hear me? With your acute hearing?"

"I was thinking! Oh, I think my heart's stopped. Has it stopped?" He took his pulse and relaxed. "No. Just beating really hard."

Simmons was looking at him with an expression that was surprisingly close to concern. "Michael, are you all right? You seem…tense."

_Hmm, and I wonder why_, Michael thought acerbically. _Maybe it's because I'm being held prisoner by an individual who would feel no qualms about ordering my vivisection if he thought it could further his own ends? That could have something to do with it._ He paused and felt a chill run down his spine. _Oh, wonderful. The wonderful places my mind goes. Now I won't be able to think of anything else._ "I'm fine."

"You don't seem fine; you seem tense," Simmons insisted.

"Really, I'm fine. Was there something you wanted?"

"Alyssa's here with little Jimmy, and I thought you'd like to see them."

Immediately Michael felt his mood lighten. "Of course!"

"Follow me, then," Simmons said, leading the way.

Michael noticed the two orderlies were waiting outside in the hall to escort them, but he didn't mind. He held onto Sprint and followed Simmons, looking forward to seeing the gentle human female and her son again. The same feeling of peace and happiness that he was used to feeling around Daniel emanated around her. He didn't understand it, but he was glad it was there.

"Hi, Michael!" she said brightly as he and Simmons arrived. "Come see Jimmy!"

For the next few weeks, that was the pattern his days had. He had breakfast in his room, played with Sprint, and then was taken to see Alyssa and Jimmy. He was more than happy to spend his days with them since each moment was a joy, even when Jimmy became cranky and cried. He learned all there was to know about taking care of a child—he could change diapers, mix up bottles, burp him, and sing him to sleep. On top of that, he learned how to feed him, how to amuse him, when he needed to be cuddled and when he needed to be made comfortable. He and Alyssa would have lunch together (with both of them sneaking tidbits to Sprint under the table) and Jimmy would go down for his nap.

While Jimmy napped, Alyssa and Michael would talk together in hushed voices or she would teach him games. His favorite became Five Hundred, a card game where the object was to accumulate five hundred points before your partner did. Other card games included Fish, Old Maid, Solitaire, and Poker. According to Alyssa, he had a pretty good "poker face."

They played other games. With her he learned to play Scrabble, Monopoly, Clue, Othello, Boggle, DaVinci's Challenge and other games that required no board or tokens, like One Truth One Lie, or I Spy. They were simple, but for him, playing them for the first time, they were fun. Alyssa seemed to be having fun, too, since she often had to fight down her laughter to avoid waking Jimmy.

When they didn't play games, they talked or read. Alyssa brought newspapers, magazines, and books, and they would take turns reading to each other. He had vague memories from Daniel's mind about some of the books they read and reading them almost gave him a feeling of familiarity. It seemed that Alyssa had a wide taste in books but her favorites were English Victorian authors, like the Bronte sisters, Charles Reade, Arthur Conan Doyle, Charles Dickens, and Wilkie Collins. Dickens, though, had to be his favorite. The names and characters were so unique that they were cultural symbols all on their own and Michael enjoyed drawing parallels to them of the people he knew. In the dwarf Quilp Michael could see Simmons—dogged, relentless, and merciless. Or maybe he was like Wackford Squeers, a penny-pinching, cruel schoolmaster who liked to justify his actions with reasons that only made sense to himself? Well, perhaps it was a toss-up between the two. Simmons was certainly like no villain in Bronte! The closest he came to any man in Bronte was Heathcliff, and even that was a bit of a stretch. Perhaps he was Professor Moriarty from the Sherlock Holmes adventures?

If Simmons was a villain, then Alyssa was an angel. She could have been little Nell or perhaps Nancy or maybe even Mrs. Bedwin, the kind housekeeper who looked after Oliver Twist while he'd been ill. Sometimes she reminded him of Betsey Trotwood, especially when she told jokes or did impressions of people she'd met. Most often, though, she reminded him of Agnes Wickfield and that was enough description for anyone.

This routine suddenly changed one day. Alyssa had not come and Michael had spent all of the day in his room, reading the books that she had loaned him and playing with Sprint. He hadn't seen Simmons at all (for which he was thankful) but he was beginning to wonder if he'd done something to offend Alyssa.

A knock on his door brought him out of reading about Jane Eyre's adventures and he put the book aside with a sigh. "Come in."

Surprise, surprise. It was Simmons. "Hello, Michael."

"Simmons," Michael said in greeting. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Simmons blinked. "Well, you're certainly in a bleak mood! Something the matter?"

"I'm not going to answer that," Michael said, marking his place in the book. "What do you want?"

"Our doctor would like you to come to the infirmary for a check-up."

Michael looked at the clock. "It's almost five-thirty. Shouldn't he have stopped work for the day?"

"No, he's on call until later. Come on."

Every few days he had one of these "check-ups," but Michael suspected that they were only to see if he was reverting back to his old self, and not if he was in good health. Today's checkup took longer than usual, though, since the doctor wanted two separate blood tests done in addition to everything else he usually ordered. Michael returned to his quarters feeling rather like a pincushion.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Simmons asked chummily as he and two orderlies walked him back to his room.

"The medical practices here are sadistic," Michael muttered. "I would have more mercy from Vlad the Impaler."

"Did Dr. Jackson tell you about him?"

"It was in a history book," Michael said as they reached his room.

"Well, that's certainly all we'll need from you tonight, Michael," Simmons said as he opened Michael's door. "See you tomorrow, and have a pleasant evening."

Michael went into his room without saying anything but stopped in surprise once he was over the threshold. Simmons closed the door behind him and he heard it lock, but he barely registered the sound as he took in the sight of his room. The lighting was soft, a vase of roses were on the table, candles were lit, soft music was playing, the table was laid with a meal for two, and Alyssa…

Alyssa…

Wow.

"Um…" Oh, that was brilliant. "Alyssa? What's all this?"

"Well, I didn't get to see you today, so I thought I'd surprise you tonight," she said, smiling. "A nice dinner for two and maybe a little dancing. What do you think?"

_This_ was different. "Um, that would be nice." He couldn't help staring at her. She was dressed up in a little black dress and heels, her hair was done in such a way that he wanted to run his fingers through it, and she was wearing a perfume that he couldn't get enough of. She was standing there, as if waiting for something, so he mustered what little wits he had left to give her a compliment. "You look…you look really great."

She smiled. She didn't seem to take offense at his tongue-tied awkwardness. Quite the contrary, in fact.

"I left Jimmy with a friend, so you and I can spend some time together without having to worry about waking him up, and I made dinner. Have you ever had spaghetti carbonara?"

"I've had spaghetti, but what is carbonara?"

"A type of sauce," she said, lifting the cover off a bowl in the center of the table. The aroma of warm food wafted around him and he felt his mouth water. "I think you'll like it."

He _did _like it and polished off nearly three platefuls of the stuff. (With help from Sprint, of course. The puppy ate so much that he plopped underneath the table and fell asleep soon after his belly was full.) Along with the pasta there was hot bread, salad, and a type of dessert called tiramisu that he absolutely loved. He had two pieces and he was feeling rather full by the time he'd finished them.

"Time to dance," she said, switching CDs in the CD player she'd brought along. An easy dance tune began playing and she pulled him up out of his chair and into the center of the room. "Have you ever danced before?"

He shook his head. "No. At least, not like this. You'll have to teach me." Immediately he wondered if that had been a good thing to say since she stepped closer to him and pulled his right arm around her waist and took his left hand in her right. He froze when he felt _her_ left hand come to a rest on his hip. _This_ was dancing?

"Now you just move with the music," she said, and he felt pressure on his hip and the tug of her other hand telling him which direction to move in. After a few minutes of stumbling and stammered apologies, he caught the rhythm of the music and managed to move in time with it, and he relaxed and began to enjoy himself. Each time the music changed there was a new step to go with it and each time he had to learn the dance all over again, but it was fun.

"Thirsty?" she asked once the music stopped.

"Yes, actually," he said, surprised. Dancing was thirsty work!

"Have you ever had champagne?" she asked, picking up a green glass bottle from an ice bucket. Condensation had beaded on the sides of the bottle and reminded him just how thirsty he really was.

"No. What is it?"

"Fizzy and absolutely delicious," she promised him, unwrapping the top of the bottle and popping the cork. That surprised him and he ducked, but he laughed. A drink that fought back! She poured the champagne into two glasses and she held one out to him. "Cheers."

He took the glass and smiled when she tapped hers against his. He recognized that gesture—a toast—from Daniel's memories. He did the same and smiled. "Your health, Alyssa, and thank you for the meal and coming tonight. I've enjoyed it."

"So have I," she said, just before taking a sip of her champagne.

Michael took a sip of his and nearly spit it out. Was there something wrong with it? Had it gone bad?

Alyssa saw the look on his face. "Something wrong?"

"Um, is it supposed to taste like this?"

She smiled. "I forgot. Sometimes the taste takes a little getting used to."

He took another sip, and then another. It was…odd, but still, he sort of liked it. "I think you're right."

He'd almost finished his first glass when she turned the music on and led him back to the center of the room to dance. By this point he was confident enough in his dancing to be able to keep up a conversation.

"May I ask you something?"

She smiled. "What?"

"It may be uncomfortable for you to answer, and you don't have to tell me, if you don't want to."

"What is it?" she asked, sounding a little cautious.

"I was wondering where Jimmy's father was. No one's ever mentioned him."

She nodded. "It's all right. It's natural you should wonder. He didn't want children, and when I became pregnant with Jimmy, he left. Soon after Jimmy was born we divorced. He's decided he wants nothing to do with his son or with me. I'm not sorry, though. I have Jimmy, and he makes it all worth it."

"I think your ex-husband is the one missing out," Michael said honestly. "He didn't appreciate what he had."

She smiled, and shortly afterward they had another glass of champagne. They were on their third round of dancing when she stopped and looked at him. "I've got something to tell you."

He looked at her. "What is it?"

"Simmons told me about you. How you're physically human, but not entirely."

He froze. "He did?"

She nodded. "He did. You see, I work here in human resources, and I've been on maternity leave with Jimmy, but Simmons came and told me about you and asked if I'd be willing to come here and spend time with you and show you Jimmy. I didn't mind doing it, and now I'm glad I did. I can't imagine what it would be like not knowing you."

He felt himself smile. "I can't imagine it, either. You've been a good friend to me, Alyssa."

She smiled, and a moment later he was mentally reeling in shock as she kissed him. He knew what kisses were, of course, and he'd been tagging along in Daniel's head during his last date with Sylvia, but it was completely different when you were having the experience yourself! He forgot to breathe and when she ended the kiss he pulled away gasping for air. That…that was quite an experience!

"Hey, you're good at that," she said, putting her arms around him and pulling him close.

A second kiss left him just as breathless, and a third left him trembling. She was about to begin a fourth when he pulled away and grabbed hold of a chair for support. He felt…odd. No, this went beyond odd. Was he getting sick? His entire body was shaking, he felt hot and cold at the same time…what was wrong with him?

"Are you all right, Michael?"

Her voice brought him back to the present and he fought to get control of himself. "I don't know. I don't know why I feel this way."

She shook her head. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have given you alcohol."

"Alcohol? We didn't have alcohol."

"Champagne is alcoholic, Michael," she explained. "Do you feel sick?"

"Not sick, just…a little odd, I think. I've never felt like this before."

She smiled. "If that's all, then…"

Another kiss left him speechless and dizzy and a few more kisses robbed him of the ability to stand upright. Somehow, when he got another chance to breathe, he found himself stretched out on his bed with Alyssa next to him, getting ready to move in for another kiss. He was content to let her, but feeling her stroke her fingers along the side of his neck made him gasp and pull away, shivering. "What was that?"

"That was just your body telling you that it liked that," she explained, repeating the caress, and she smiled as he shivered again. "You see?"

His reaction was even more intense when she kissed him in the same place, and he held onto her, trying to ride out the sensation. Finally the shivering eased and he caught his breath, amazed at the sensations his body was producing. This was…well, there were no words for it. None, none at all. He'd experienced something vaguely like it at one remove when the Ashah had dosed Daniel with those compounds of theirs to make him more receptive, but this was a thousand, a million times better.

They stayed like that for a while, caressing one another and kissing. He felt surrounded in her warm regard for him, as if she were one of his kind and had shown him her feelings mind-to-mind, and he wished that he were in his normal form so he could do the same for her. Still, this present situation wasn't too bad. He was deep in another kiss with her when he felt her slide her hand up under his shirt and his abdominal muscles contracted in reaction. This startled him so much that he pulled away. "What are you doing?"

She looked at him and smiled. "Don't worry. You'll like this."

That sounded familiar, but his mind went to pieces as she lifted his shirt and caressed his stomach and chest. He was shivering so badly that he couldn't talk, he could only feel and attempt to understand the sensations. It was as he was gasping from the shivers that he remembered from where her words sounded familiar.

The Ashah. The Ashah had said the same thing in almost the same tones, especially when they were trying to get Daniel to do something he knew would be bad for him to do.

A kiss on his throat and caress on his chest produced a sensation so strong that he was frightened. Yes, he liked this, but he liked it too much! This was happening too fast! A moment later he was on his feet and stumbling away from the bed, shaking.

She got up, looking concerned. "Michael?"

"Don't!" he said, backing away. "Don't!"

It was as he was backing away that he got a look at her face, her expression completely unguarded, and he felt a chill. Simmons had worn the same look more than once when looking at him, as if he wanted nothing more than to tear him apart.

"Michael, it's okay," she said, approaching him slowly, her expression becoming her habitual smile. "You're just not used to it and it can be a little scary your first time, but don't worry. I can help you through it." She reached out to pull him toward her, but he ducked away.

"Don't touch me," he said, holding out a hand to ward her off. "Thank you for the dinner and the dancing and company, but this is too much."

She looked a little sad, but lurking under the sadness was the same expression that had unnerved him. "Michael, this isn't bad or anything. It's good. It's a physical way of showing love. Don't your people have something like this?"

"Yes, we do," he admitted. "But that doesn't mean we perform it with someone we've known only a short while. We do it only with someone we love."

"So do we!" she said, sounding relieved. "So, it's okay, then." She moved forward again for a kiss, but he dodged her.

"No, it isn't," he said. "I don't understand what you mean."

"You said you only do stuff like this with someone you love, right?"

Where was she going with this? She _sounded_ reasonable, but… "Yes, that's right."

"Well, I love you, you silly man. Come here."

Two kisses later and he managed to pull away. "Stop!" He backed away again and leaned against the wall, trying to catch his breath. "What made you say that?"

"Say what?"

"Say that you love me," he persisted. "We've known each other only for a short time, and human love is complex. How can you be sure?"

"I'm sure," she said, approaching him and putting a hand against the wall on either side of his head. "And I want to show you physically how I feel."

He stared at her. "But…"

"Michael, this is part of being human," she interrupted him. "Feeling love like this…I know you're just as eager for it as I am, so why deny yourself?" She moved in to kiss him again and he saw triumph light her eyes. He stayed where he was and let her do as she wished, and she pulled away to take his hand to lead him back to the bed. "In general, I think this is my favorite part."

One of the words had to be part of his neural trigger, because he felt his entire body quake with some sudden sensation and his mind…it felt almost like normal. He could sense everyone in the building, he could hear what they were thinking, and he could hear what Alyssa was thinking. Deeply thankful, he listened to everything he was hearing, getting to know this sense of his again.

A second later he pulled roughly away from her and all but flew into the bathroom, retching. Dearest _stars_! Her thoughts! How could any living being think like that and not drive itself mad? She loved her son, yes, but she was willing to sacrifice anything and anyone in order to give him every advantage. Simmons had approached her with a deal: a college education at a place called Harvard if she managed to get him to go to bed with her and to commit to staying human and…The last part of that thought came and he was sick, vomiting up all he'd eaten and drunk that evening. The spasms stopped after a short eternity and he flushed the toilet before going to the sink to wash out his mouth and splash cold water on his face.

"Michael? Are you okay?"

He whirled in an effort to fend her off. "Don't touch me!"

"What's wrong?" she asked, confused. "If you're sick…"

"Don't come near me," he hissed. "I don't want to see you again."

"What do you mean?" she gasped, sounding shocked. "What did I do?"

"I don't think I need to explain," he said shortly. "Please go."

"Michael…"

"Go!"

He turned away from her and splashed more water on his face, keeping it up until he was certain she was gone. By this time his face and hands were freezing, but that was a lot better than how he was feeling now.

Betrayed.

He'd cared for her, enjoyed her company, and he'd flattered himself to think that she cared for him. He'd begun to depend on her in this place where there were enemies all around him, but now it turned out that his one ally was an enemy as well.

"Michael?"

He looked bleakly up at Simmons. "What?"

"What's the matter?"

"I don't want to discuss it, Simmons," he snapped, pushing past Simmons back into his room. Orderlies were there, removing the dishes and remaining food, so Michael scooped Sprint up from underneath the table and took refuge in an easy chair.

"I think you should," Simmons said, taking a seat near him.

"Well, I won't," Michael said flatly.

The orderlies finished cleaning up and left and Simmons seemed to feel that their departure was a signal for persisting. "I think you should, Michael. What happened? According to Alyssa, you were enjoying yourself. What happened? Why were you sick?"

"I guess the company must have soured my stomach," Michael snapped. "I don't want to talk about this to anyone, Simmons, least of all you."

"Michael, I didn't ask Alyssa to come here to scare you," Simmons said, coming the wrong conclusion. "I brought her here so you could learn about being human."

"Oh, really?"

"I did," Simmons affirmed. "She does care for you, Michael. She's told me that more than once. Think about it. You could stay human. You could stay here on Earth and be a husband and father. The NID will protect you and give you work and a purpose. A new life, here, with a woman you love."

"No."

"Don't you care for her at all?" Simmons asked, surprised.

"I care for her, yes," Michael said. "She may care for me in some way, but not enough, and not in the right way. My answer to the entire proposition is no. I will not remain here. I will not get involved with Alyssa—I don't wish to see her again. I won't do what you want. The whole 'work and purpose' part of this…you people are worse than the Ashah. You wanted me to trick other beings to trust you, didn't you? You wanted to do more in-depth exams of me and use me to experiment on, didn't you?"

Simmons hid it quickly, but Michael noticed the chagrined surprise. "Experiment? You've got it all wrong, Michael. The closest we'd ever come to that would be regular medical check-ups. That's all."

"Don't try to fool me," Michael said, holding Sprint close and cuddling him. "I won't even consider any part of this, Simmons. I will never do anything you want me to do. The SGC will find me and they'll get me out of here."

Simmons glared at him. "I doubt they will. They haven't even come anywhere close to where we are."

Michael looked at him. "That doesn't mean they won't. Please leave me alone, Simmons. Please."

For a change, Simmons did as Michael asked, and Michael changed for bed. He slid under the covers, held Sprint close, and allowed himself the luxury of crying himself to sleep.


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 38

"_Jaaack!_" Daniel wailed, appalled. "You're my friend! How _could_ you?"

"I suddenly found the willpower to inform Janet when I found you unconscious on your office floor this morning when I got in," Jack said calmly from where he stood. "That's why."

"That didn't mean you had to turn me in to Janet!" Daniel complained. Until ten minutes ago, he'd been in his office working (okay, so Jack had found him on the floor, but he felt fine once he woke up), but Janet had arrived with several orderlies tailing her, all armed for battle. They'd escorted (not _dragged_, which was what it pretty much amounted to anyway) him down the infirmary, insisted he change into scrubs and get into bed, and submit to an exam.

"Give me three good reasons why I shouldn't have spoken to Janet," Jack said as one of the nurses took Daniel's blood pressure.

"Oh, let's see," Daniel sighed, ignoring the nurse's request that he stay quiet. "I was eating—you _know_ I was, Jack!—and I slept every night, and you _know_ I was exercising! Three reasons, right there!"

"Then why are you showing every symptom of fatigue?" Janet wanted to know. "You _passed out_, Daniel. In addition to that, you've lost five pounds of the weight you've gained back and you're slightly anemic. Care to explain all that?"

Daniel stared at her. "Oh, come on! You're the medical doctor!"

"Yeah, the medical doctor who's about to recant the Hippocratic oath due to the stupidity of her present patient!" Janet retorted. "You can't keep expecting me to patch you up if you keep running yourself into the ground, Daniel. The next time you're in here because you've been working too hard, I'll induce a coma and keep you here for a week, understand? As it is, you aren't leaving the infirmary until I'm satisfied that you're better, got me?"

Daniel stared at her, but this time, there was a tinge of fright in his eyes. "You wouldn't!"

"I'm feeling more like it every moment," she snapped. "We're not going to do this again, Daniel. You're staying in that bed and you _won't_ be working. You'll have meals and physical therapy and a great deal of sleep, but you're not leaving. End of discussion."

He was quiet, looking from her to Jack and back again. "What about Michael?" He asked it very quietly, but Janet and Jack knew him well enough to know that the question was practically desperate.

"Just because you're in here doesn't mean that we're going to quit looking for him," Jack told him. "We owe him your safe return, Daniel. We're not about to forget that, so don't worry. You focus on getting better. I'm sure that once Michael gets back he's gonna want to do a lot of stuff with his friend, but how's he gonna do that if his best Earth buddy is still in the infirmary?"

Daniel dropped into the pillows and sighed again as a nurse slipped a thermometer into his mouth. "You win," he mumbled around the thermometer.

"Under your tongue, Dr. Jackson," the nurse reminded him.

Daniel stayed quiet and held the thermometer in his mouth, waiting, but he looked so miserable that Jack felt the need to reassure him.

"Teal'c and Carter are working on finding him right now," he reminded Daniel. "You know how they are when it comes to a friend of ours in trouble, Danny. We'll find him."

The thermometer beeped and the nurse noted his temperature before taking out a pen light to check his vision.

"And I'll make a concession," Janet said, sounding a bit more like her usually kind self. "I'll let the rest of SG-1 report to you if you promise not to give us any trouble. That means eating, sleeping and doing your physical therapy without a problem, got me?"

Daniel smiled. "Thanks, Janet."

"I mean it, Daniel," she persisted.

"I wonder if I could convince General Hammond that civilian consultants also need to follow orders when they're given? If that were the case, I could just order you to get some rest and you'd have to. Ah, what a nice thought."

Daniel chuckled and settled into bed as the nurses finished his exam. "I'm not military, Jack."

"And don't think that that doesn't drive me absolutely nuts," Jack said chummily as he took a seat next to Daniel. "With someone in the military, I could just order them to rest. You, I have to organize a swat operation with the infirmary in order for that to happen."

"I just have to be difficult, don't I?" Daniel remarked.

"Yep."

"Oh, don't remind me," Janet said. "Colonel, I'll see you later. Don't stick around too long since Daniel's supposed to go to sleep soon. If he doesn't start looking a little tired within the next ten minutes, get me and I'll give him something."

"Hear that?" Jack whispered as Janet went into her office. "It's better if you go to sleep on your own, Daniel."

--

Jack left Daniel a short time later, dead to the world and sleeping like a baby and every other kind of cliché you could think of. He was supposed to meet with the general and give a report on what sort of progress they'd made on finding Michael. They'd ruled out a lot of possible places where he might have been held, now they had to look at a few other places and assure Washington that they were doing everything in their utmost power to find their latest offworld ally.

In short, Washington was not happy that they'd lost Michael and they would have to do a very fast and flashy song and dance to keep the government from stepping in. That would be bad not only for them but also for Michael and the entire alliance.

He reached the office and stopped in the doorway to find someone already in the office with his CO. "Oh, 'scuse me," he said, backing out.

"It's all right, colonel," Hammond said, waving him inside. "You remember Sylvia?"

"Sure," Jack said, shaking her hand. "How are things going?"

Her lips twitched in what might have been a smile. "Not too good," she admitted. "I came to see General Hammond and to ask if it would be possible for me to work here."

Jack's eyebrows shot up. "Really?" Oooh, boy. Was this good, or was this bad?

She nodded. "I wasn't happy at home. My fiancé and I fought all the time, and my parents kept pressuring me to set a date, so I left. Colorado Springs was the last place I remembered being really happy, and I remember Daniel mentioning once that Cheyenne Mountain needed a researcher, so here I am."

Jack wondered if General Hammond knew that it should have been Daniel interviewing this woman. Then again, the two of them had been romantically involved, and Daniel _was_ in the infirmary, so maybe Daniel wasn't the best choice.

"We still have to complete interviews, but from what I've seen of your qualifications, you would be ideal," Hammond complimented her.

Her smile grew a little warmer. "Thank you. I was wondering if…" she hesitated, uncertain.

"Yes?" Was it Jack's imagination, or was Hammond twice his usual teddy bear self?

"Could I see Daniel? Just for a few minutes? Please?"

Ohh, yeah. This girl had it bad.

Hammond turned to Jack. "Colonel, do you know where Dr. Jackson is now?"

"That was part of what I came up here to report, sir," Jack said. "I found Danny-boy passed out in his office this morning when I got in, so I informed Janet."

Hammond winced. "She was less than pleased, I take it?"

Jack nodded. "I think livid would be a better word. Anyway, Daniel's in the infirmary resting and he will be there doing that for the forseeable future, but I'm sure that Doc wouldn't say no to a visitor. Not for a few minutes, anyway."

"Is Daniel okay?" Sylvia asked, concerned.

"He's fine," Jack hastened to reassure her. "He just doesn't know when to take a break, that's all. I can take you down, and then I'll be back up to report, general."

"That's fine. Convey my best wishes to Dr. Jackson, please."

"Sure thing. Let's go, Sylvia. Dannyboy will be really happy to see you, I think."

Jack led Sylvia down to the infirmary and nudged Daniel's shoulder until he woke up, and then it was a treat to see his entire face light up when he spotted Sylvia. "Sylvia! Hi!"

"Hi, Daniel," she said, taking the seat beside his bed as she held his hand. "How are you?"

"Oh, I look worse than I really am," he said quickly, noting her concerned face. "Really. How are you doing? I didn't think you'd be back in Colorado Springs for a while."

"I didn't like how things were going with my family. I think that we get along better when we're further apart, and I returned Rick's ring. He's too much like my parents, I guess. I could never even think about anything we could talk about, so I called off the engagement."

Daniel's eyebrows went up. "Wow. I'm...sorry it didn't work out." That was Daniel, always polite.

"Oh, I'm not," Sylvia told him. "If anything, I feel relieved."

"Well, I guess that's good."

"You two kids don't need me to chaperone, so I'm gonna head back up to Hammond's office," Jack said easily into the comfortable silence that followed. "Daniel, General Hammond said to convey his best wishes and all that stuff, and I'm adding a little instruction, so listen to it, got me? Stay. In. Bed. Sylvia, I'm counting on you to make sure he stays put. The last thing we need is Janet Frasier on the warpath, okay?"

"Not to worry," Sylvia said. "I'll keep him 'put.'"

"Thanks. See ya later."

Jack was more than happy to go back up to Hammond's office and start reporting. The atmosphere in the infirmary was becoming almost sticky-sweet with all the lovey-dovey-ness that was going on. It was good that Daniel had found someone and that the someone liked him back, but really, enough was enough!

"How's Dr. Jackson?" Hammond asked when Jack arrived.

"Oh, he's holding her hand, gazing into her eyes, all that stuff," Jack said. "He's just fine. Now, about my report..."

"Any new leads?"

"Just one, on the Canadian border. We're a little hesitant about approaching it since they could see us coming from a mile away, but we've got watchers keeping an eye on the place. The only thing that leads us to believe they've got Michael there is the amount of security. Fort Knox has got nothing on this place. What about Michael's planet? What have they said?"

"Precious little," Hammond admitted. "I've spoken to someone from his planet and they don't really seem concerned. They did say that he would be fine and that he'll make his way back to us, but I don't think they understood what I was trying to tell them about the NID. The situation's serious, but I don't think they grasped that."

Jack nodded. "I think they understood that we were concerned, but maybe they didn't understand why they should be," Jack suggested. "I guess all we can do now is keep our eyes and ears open."

_Unscheduled offworld activation. Unscheduled offworld activation._

"Oh, joy," Jack muttered as he got to his feet. "Wonder what this is."

"Let's find out," Hammond said, following suit. Together the two men headed to the control room to see what was going on. Walter was at his keyboard, staring at the screen.

"What's the address?" Hammond asked.

"Um, the planet where that Dr. Jackson double came from. You know, Lieutenant Campbell?"

Hammond nodded. "Open the iris. Colonel, you're with me."

Ten seconds later and they were both in the Gate room, watching the iris open to reveal the shimmering puddle of light. After a few seconds the puddle rippled and someone stepped through to stop and stand at the top of the ramp, looking around. The wormhole disengaged and the person took a few hesitant steps down the ramp, her eyes focused on General Hammond and Colonel O'Neill. She also spotted the armed security in the room and she froze.

"Welcome to Earth," General Hammond said. "May I ask who you are?"

She switched her attention back to General Hammond. "I don't really have a name like the ones you know," she said in a soft voice. "However, I can tell you that I am Michael's sister being. I come from his people."

Jack nodded. "Can you tell us which one of us Michael read?"

She smiled. "He read Daniel, of course. I was sent to you since you seemed concerned. It was thought that you might feel better if someone from our planet was here."

"Well, that's very nice," Jack said. "We're still looking for Michael, though."

"It will not be much longer," she said, sounding as if she were trying to reassure him. "May I see Daniel? I would like to tell him the same."

Hammond nodded. "Certainly. Your arrival necessitates a trip to the infirmary anyway. Just a formality."

"I understand," she said, coming down the rest of the ramp and standing in front of the two men. Up close, both of them had to stare at her just a bit. Tiny, elfin features stared up at them from under a wealth of dark hair, and she smiled as if she knew what they were thinking. She was nothing short of adorable. "Shall we?"

"Uh, this way," Jack said, shaking off her spell first. "So, any suggestions on what we should call you?" he asked as he led the way into the hallway that led to the infirmary.

She seemed to consider this. "I don't really know what name would suit me," she said after a moment. "Would either of you like to choose a name for me?"

They reached the elevator and Jack punched a button. "Umm...Mary?"

Hammond shook his head. "No, Colonel. She doesn't look like Mary Steenburgen. Why not..." The general looked at her again. "Maya."

She smiled. "I like that. Maya. It's pretty."

Newly christened, Maya followed the two men to the infirmary, where they found a blissfully happy Daniel and Sylvia, deep in a discussion about the Etruscans.

"Hello, Daniel," Maya said as they approached his bed.

Daniel's head whipped around. "Hi!"

Jack looked from Daniel to Maya and back. "Daniel? You know her?"

"She visited me the other night," Daniel admitted. "For a long while I thought the whole encounter had been a dream, but I'm glad it wasn't. How are you?"

"I am fine," she said. "General Hammond has given me the name Maya, Daniel, so you have something you can call me. Our people sent me to see how the search was going and to help reassure you."

"Oh, that's good," Daniel said. "The search is going okay--it would be going faster if I could go back to work--but it's going okay. Just a little slow, though. Oh, I'm sorry, Maya! Maya, this is Sylvia. Sylvia, this is Michael's sister, Maya."

Sylvia blinked. "Who is Michael?"

Daniel could have kicked himself. Of course she wouldn't know about Michael! "Michael is a friend of mine, and he belongs to Maya's people. He helped orchestrate our escape from the Ashah."

Sylvia smiled. "I like him already," she said. "Pleased to meet you, Maya."

"And it's good to meet you," she answered. "Daniel, why are you in the infirmary?"

"Oh, Jack tends to panic."

"Especially when he sees you unconscious on the floor," Jack reminded him. "Maya, do you think you could remind Daniel not to work himself into the ground? He might listen to you."

She smiled. "Maybe."

"Maybe?" Jack pressed.

"Maybe I can, and maybe he might listen to me," Maya said, not willing to be committed and enjoying winding Jack up a bit. "Daniel, may I see your notes about the search? They might tell me something and I would be able to point you all in the right direction."

"That would be great," Jack said, sounding relieved. "Daniel, where are your notes?"

"Up in my office on my worktable," Daniel told him.

"Great, good, fantastic," Jack said. "Be right back."

Maya chuckled as Jack scooted out the door. "I think he is eager to find my brother."

"He wants to find him just so I'll stop worrying," Daniel corrected her. "But then again, it amounts to the same thing."

They chatted for a while about nothing in particular until Jack returned, carrying five notebooks. "Are these all your notes, Daniel?"

Daniel stared at him. "Yep. Those are my notes."

"These are supposed to be notes, Daniel, not novels."

"They're _notes_, Jack. I assure you."

"If you say so."

"HOLD IT!"

Everyone froze at the sudden shout from Dr. Frasier's office and a moment later she appeared in the doorway. "I've heard the whole conversation. I know how you people get when you work, so I'm going to do Maya's physical _before_ you get involved in whatever it is you're planning," she said.

"It took you that long to realize you had a patient out here, Doc?"

Janet's glare could have killed.

--

When Michael woke up two days after the disastrous dinner with Alyssa, he had a feeling that there was something wrong. Simmons was...well, from what Michael could pick up, the man was preoccupied and on edge. He also seemed rather...resolved, as if he were determined to do what had to be done no matter how unpleasant it was.

That could not be good for him, no matter what happened. He got up and went through his usal routine, but whenever he checked up on Simmons, the same feeling of determination was still coloring his thoughts. While he had supper that evening the feeling was still there and when he went to bed the feeling was, if anything, stronger. A sudden feeling of cloudy-headedness washed over him, but before he could analyze it further he fell asleep.

When he woke up the next morning he knew his feelings had not been unfounded. The restraints were back and Simmons was there while Sprint did the intelligent thing and hid under the bed. "Hello, Michael."

Michael looked down at the restraints. "What's all this?"

"I think we need to talk," Simmons said.

"We could talk without the restraints," Michael pointed out.

"Yes, we could, but we won't," Simmons said. "I've been told that trying to talk to you has been taking too long, so I've been ordered to do what I have to in order to get answers."

"I've answered your questions," Michael reminded him.

"Not really," Simmons insisted. "Besides, my superiors want to know just how human you are."

Now he was beginning to feel worried. "What do you mean?"

"You'll learn about that later," Simmons said as someone else came into the room. "You recognize the doctor, don't you?"

"Yes," Michael said cautiously as he spotted the familiar white coat. "I have to have another checkup? This grows tedious."

"Not a checkup," the doctor said. He was carrying a rectangular plastic case that he placed on Michael's bedside table before removing two latex gloves from his pocket and pulling them on. He opened the case, removed a phial and syringe, and began to fill the syringe.

Michael tried to hide any nervousness as Sprint hopped up onto his bed. "Hello, Sprint. Come to keep me company? Is that shot for me, Doctor?"

"Mmm-hmm," the doctor affirmed, flicking the syringe and then pushing up on the plunger so the medication within the barrel of the syringe was at the desired dose. He swabbed Michael's arm with an alcoholic wipe and positioned the needle.

"Dare I ask what it is?" Michael asked, wishing he could get up and run. Sprint, oblivious to all this tension, curled up on Michael's stomach for a nap.

"Just a little something that will help you talk to us," Simmons said as the doctor gave Michael the shot.

"Ow," Michael complained as he felt the pinch of the needle. "You know, I've been talking all along. This isn't necessary."

"How long before it works?" Simmons wanted to know as the doctor swabbed Michael's arm again, pressed cotton over the site, and fixed it in place with a bandage.

"Give it a few minutes," the doctor said, putting the syringe into a red biohazard bag and gathering up his equipment.

What followed after that was a blur for Michael. He could remember hearing people talking--was one of the voices his own?--but he couldn't remember what had been said. He could feel panic starting to rise and he told himself sternly not to worry, worry would be pointless and--

Oh, by the One, what had he told Simmons while he was under the influence of that drug?

"How are you feeling, Michael?" It was Simmons, and the sudden question set his head pounding.

"Awful," Michael croaked while he felt Sprint lick his face. "What was in that shot?"

"Nothing for you to worry about," Simmons told him chummily. "I'm so glad we did this, Lieutenant Campbell, and believe me when I say that we'll do it again soon. Have a pleasant day."

With that, Simmons left, and Michael realized for the first time that the restraints had been removed and a hearty breakfast had been left on the table. He called Sprint, hugged the puppy close, and tried to tell himself that everything would be okay. Despite this, there was one worry still plaguing him: What had he told Simmons?

--

_There are times when Janet's pretty cool,_ Daniel thought as he dug into his lunch. Seeing that the only way Daniel would be quiet and stay in bed was if he had company, Janet had allowed it on the condition that Daniel allow the majority of the work they were doing to fall to his friends. As a consequence, the rest of SG-1, Sylvia (who'd signed a non-disclosure agreement), and Maya had all congregated around Daniel's bed to tackle the problem of where Michael was. When Sylvia heard that Michael was being held by the NID somewhere, she'd shown enough righteous indignation to placate even Jack and then had jumped into the research they were doing. Around lunchtime Janet had ordered a large picnic for everyone so they wouldn't have to stop work.

Seeing Maya hesitate over her food, Daniel decided to ask her a few questions. His bump of curiosity had turned into a hunchback by this point. "Something wrong, Maya?"

She looked at him and smiled. "Not at all. Is this the roast chicken that Michael mentioned?"

"Mmm," Jack said, finishing off a drumstick. "That's right. Roast chicken."

Maya tore a tiny piece off her drumstick, popped it in her mouth and chewed. A second later she was smiling. "Oh, this is good! Now I know why Michael liked your food so well!"

"Well, it is pretty good," Daniel said. "Like it?"

"Very much," Maya assured him, taking some more chicken.

Lunch didn't last long as they were all hungry and they were eager to get back to work. It was about three o'clock in the afternoon when Maya stood up, staring at something in Daniel's notes.

"Maya?" Daniel asked, seeing the look on her face. "What is it?"

The look of surprise changed into one of fierce relief and happiness. "I know where Michael is."


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 39

Simmons headed through the corridors to the doctor's office, more than a little eager for the man's report. The man had been watching tapes of Lieutenant Kenmore ever since they'd brought the offworlder here, and he'd been observing him and making notes. It was handy, Simmons reflected, to have a trained psychoanalyst and full medical doctor on the staff. Simmons had been in his office when the doctor had called him, asking him to come to his office so the doctor could show him something.

The doctor rarely did that unless it was something very, very important. This was going to be good. He reached the door, knocked, and entered when told to.

"Hello, Dr. Carstairs," Simmons said as he entered. "You said you had something to show me, so here I am."

"I have plenty to show you," Carstairs said. "This will make your century. First of all, I want to say that we have a highly complex individual in our care."

"Do we really?" Simmons said as he settled in a chair, willing to indulge the doctor's love of giving a lecture. Besides, he was more than a little curious about the way Michael thought himself.

"Oh, we do indeed," Carstairs affirmed. "First of all, he does not think like a human and he rarely acts without thinking first. While humans consider just a few options in making a decision, he not only considers the options, he considers all future options not just for himself but for those around him. The tapes we have of him in the SGC prove that, since he is so careful of the SGC staff and refuses to commit to giving more information than he's been given permission to give in order to protect humans from knowing too much, too soon, about his people. He understands the ways humans think and behave and he finds them fascinating."

Simmons nodded. "I see. What else can you tell me?"

"He has a very strong personal code that he holds himself to and he is highly moral. He will not do anything unless he feels and is certain that it is the right thing to do. He is very unwilling to lie, so when he needs to keep the truth hidden he tells only half-truths, rather than lie outright," Carstairs said, playing a bit of video.

"_What about your parents and your family? Are your parents still living? Any brothers or sisters?"_ Simmons heard his own voice saying.

Michael's voice laughed and answered. _"Of course I have siblings! We run to a big family, really."_

The doctor stopped the tape and turned around, grinning. "He was telling the truth while still concealing it there," he said in response to Simmons' puzzled look. "When he said 'we run to a big family,' he was telling us more than what the statement means on the surface."

"And just what was he telling us?" Simmons wanted to know.

"Even people in the biggest families can name how many siblings they have," the doctor said. "The fact that he wanted to hide from us was that he didn't know how many he had."

Simmons stared at him. "What?"

"It may be that all of his people alive now came from the same parent or parents, or that he considers all of them his brothers and sisters. The fact that he didn't give us a number—not even an estimate—proves that there are a lot of them."

Simmons smiled. "That's very, very interesting. What can you tell me about him intellectually? When I convince him to work for us, what will he be capable of doing?"

"Oh, anything," the doctor told him confidently. "His mind is prodigious. He's highly intelligent and so far beyond brilliant that there isn't a word to describe his capabilities. Also, his memory is the strongest I've ever seen. He needs to see or hear something only once and it's locked in his memory forever. He probably remembers every word from the reading material he's been given here and he's more than capable of recalling it verbatim and learning from it. He's an expert at learning—you can see that in how he interacted with Sprint and how he trained him—and he's actually worked on learning all he can about you."

That surprised Simmons. "He has? How do you figure that?"

"He is constantly observing you whenever you visit him," the doctor said, showing several clips of Simmons' sessions with Michael. "He has taken note of your every expression, gesture, action, your every word and tone of voice. He's trying to apply what he knows of humanity to you and he's trying to figure you out." The doctor chuckled. "Well, I say 'trying' but it's more than likely he knows you better than you know yourself by now."

Simmons nodded. "Uh-huh. So that's part of his fascination with humans? Figuring out what makes us tick?"

"I think so," Carstairs said. "Another part of his fascination with humans is that we're also a novelty to him and he's eager to learn about us. For a long while his only constant contact with humanity was Dr. Jackson, and the man's thoughts may have acted as a filter, keeping him from exposure to the rest of society, as it were. So, now that he's on his own, he's curious about us and everything. He's very curious about every aspect of our history and culture."

"Do you think he'll agree to work with us?" Simmons asked. "Do you think he'll follow all the orders he's given?"

The doctor shook his head. "Not if your orders include being cruel to someone or frightening them. In fact, if he knows the majority of the way NID runs things, he may never agree to it. There's too much in our practices that he would view as questionable. He won't see standard interrogation methods we use as interrogation, he'll see it as being cruel or frightening."

Simmons raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Being cruel or frightening? Sometimes you have to take the most expedient way to get answers."

"His nature won't allow him to do that," Dr. Carstairs said firmly. "Not only is he highly intelligent and moral, he is also very empathetic. If something hurts someone else, then in all likelihood he feels the same way, if not worse. His ability to empathize with others is off the chart. He considers a person's feelings just as important as their physical well-being. That's why it was so hard for him to speak the way he did to Alyssa the last time he saw her. Speaking to her that way was actually painful for him."

"Speaking of which," Simmons interrupted. "Why did that happen? I can tell he liked her."

"I have a theory about that," Carstairs said, turning back to the video console. "Look at this."

It was a video of Michael's "date" with Alyssa. Things had gone well until Alyssa had attempted to lead him back to his bed. For some reason that he didn't understand, Michael had suddenly run from Alyssa, had been sick, and he'd shocked Simmons with knowing all about Simmons' future plans for him.

"We knew he had some interesting mental abilities from the tapes we bootlegged from the SGC, and I think that he suppressed them in an effort to appear more human. He said as much to Dr. Jackson while they were in the car. He called it talking 'mind to mind,' but I think he's also able to hear the thoughts of others whether that person is trying to 'talk' to him or not. I have a feeling that something either triggered those abilities or they suddenly broke loose that night. Maybe he's set up something so that he'll slowly revert back to himself or maybe it was the unusual stimulation he was receiving that night. I'm not sure, but that's my theory. His mental abilities are returning and he's becoming more like himself. That's why he was suddenly able to know everything you are planning for him." He paused and seemed to think. "Wait a moment." He turned, dug through a file cabinet, and came up with a cassette tape. As soon as he started playing it Simmons recognized it as one of the tapes from the "bug" on Daniel's car. First Carstairs listened to it on headphones before playing it for Simmons.

_"I won't be able to talk mind-to-mind with you while I'm in this form, Daniel,"_ Michael said. _"I've suppressed most of myself so I'll seem human."_

"Talk mind-to-mind?" Simmons said after the doctor hit 'pause.'

"Amazing, isn't it? Then there's this part, where he's telling Daniel about how he is now."

_"And will I get answers?"_ Daniel's voice said.

Michael laughed. _"All right, incorrigible one. I am just about as human as you are, really. My self and my personality are as they have always been, but my body has become human. Before I made the change, I implanted a neural trigger in my subconscious mind that would operate when I heard three key words. I don't even know what they are since I asked General Hammond to assist me in this and he chose the words. When the neural trigger hears those words, my subconscious mind will take over and change me back to normal form."_

"A neural trigger," Simmons said thoughtfully. "That has to be it. Alyssa must have said one of the neural trigger words and it kind of...woke up his capabilities a litte."

"I think that's the only plausible explanation right now," the doctor said. "Now, about your little session with him this morning. How much do you think of what he said is true?"

Simmons shook his head. "I have no idea. Sodium pentathol is a double-edged sword--it can help people to tell the truth or it can just make it easier for them to lie. Some people don't realize they're telling things they need to keep secret while others realize it and fight the drug or they babble so much that you won't know truth from fiction. Despite having a body that is virtually indistinguishable from a human's, his reactions to this drug and its effect may be radically different. Instead of getting the truth I could have been getting descriptions of delusions. What he did tell me was pretty farfetched."

"Farfetched, yes, but when you factor in all of his other abilities that we've heard mentioned and the fact that he's from an alien race...the possibilities are endless, Simmons."

"I'm just hoping that they are possibilities and not wishful thinking," Simmons said seriously. "Any advice on how I should talk to him today?"

The doctor turned to the monitor with the live feed from Michael's quarters. He watched the man for a few minutes and smiled. "He's on edge. He's very on edge. I think the easiest way to keep the advantage in your court is to keep him this way for as long as possible. Eventually, he will tire of the hyper-vigilance required on his part and he will give in."

"Any suggestions on how to keep him on edge?" Simmons asked patiently.

"Subtle hints, I think. At least to start with. Hint to him that he told you a great deal and that you are happy with the information. He was trying to hide things about his abilities and his true nature, as well as things about his people and their home, so I say slight hints that you now know a great deal more than you did thanks to _him_ will be the most effective."

Simmons smiled. "Thank you, doctor. I know just what to say."

"Good to know," the doctor said. "What about our higher-ups?"

"They're very interested. I told them only a few things from my session with him this morning and they've told me that I'm to continue working with him until we receive the call to bring him to headquarters."

Carstairs raised an eyebrow, more than a little surprised. "What will happen at headquarters?"

"Oh, I think the majority of people will want to get to know Lieutenant Campbell," Simmons told him. "They'll want to get to know him very, very well."

--

For the hundredth time that day Michael sighed. He'd eaten a bit of breakfast, Sprint was taken for his walk and been returned, and they were left alone after that. He'd spent the morning throwing a toy for Sprint to fetch (the little pup had finally caught on) and _listening_. He was focusing mainly on Simmons, but he also followed the thoughts of the doctor and the thoughts of the staff who took care of him, like the guy who brought his meals and the man who walked Sprint several times a day. If anything was going to happen to him, then it was likely they would be told.

He knew he'd told Simmons something. He felt it deep in his gut that he'd told Simmons one--or more!--of the things that were absolutely required for him to keep secret and the man was now pleased as punch over it. What if--oh, horror!--he'd told Simmons _everything_?

He didn't think he could stand it if that were the truth.

Where _was_ Simmons anyway? He could sense the man in the building but that was it. He couldn't tell where the man was _exactly_ and he found that incredibly trying. What was Simmons doing now? Was he on the phone with the high mucky-mucks who were in charge of him? Was he telling them everything that Michael had let slip during his drug-induced stupor? Was he making arrangements for...well, something terrible?

Now he knew why humans said that stress could kill you. His heart was pounding, his head felt ready to split apart, and his whole body ached from what had to be muscle tension. Added to that misery was a sore throat and an earache that made him yearn for oblivion. The cough that made his chest feel like it was breaking apart was the worst. All of this discomfort was making him even more irritated and more than a bit cloudy-headed.

The door opening sounded like a gunshot and Michael groaned and clutched his head. He felt his headache worsen as he saw Simmons come in, smiling brightly. "Hi, Michael! How are you?"

Michael's head pounded in time with Simmons' voice and he could have sworn that the man was speaking through a bullhorn. "Oh, don't talk so loud," he complained. "Why are you so darn chipper?"

Simmons stopped in surprise since it really wasn't like Michael to snap at someone. "Something wrong?" The word 'chipper' had to come from Dr. Jackson, since Daniel used it when he felt cranky in the morning. This sudden use of it by Michael had to have come from there.

"My head hurts," Michael complained. "It's hurt since I came out of that drug-haze you gave me."

"Anything else hurt?"

"Everything," Michael said pointedly, glaring at Simmons. "I think it's a side effect."

Simmons regarded him carefully and shook his head. "I think it's more than that. Hang on." He left and Michael settled with Sprint in a chair, content to cuddle the little bundle of love and joy that people called a puppy. With luck, Simmons would get caught up in something else and wouldn't come back that day.

Vain hope. He was back within five minutes with an escort. "I think we should head down to the infirmary, Michael. I think you might be sick."

Michael was more than a little confused. "Sick? Sick with what?"

"I don't know, but the doctor's waiting for us," Simmons reminded him. "Let's go."

Knowing it would do no good to say that he wasn't going anywhere, Michael got up (still holding Sprint) and followed Simmons and his goons to the infirmary. There he was put through his umpteenth physical since waking up in that wretched place and once the doctor finished examining him he flopped back on the infirmary bed since the pillows were calling to him.

"Michael?"

He jerked awake, his head beginning to pound again. "What?"

"You are sick," Carstairs told him. "When you do things, you don't do them by halves, do you? You have an ear infection, a sinus infection, and bronchitis."

Simmons, still lurking nearby, spoke up. "He can have those all at the same time?"

"Oh, yes," the doctor assured him. "Every major antibiotic we have tested safe for him, so we can start him on a course of amoxicillin and see how he responds to that. We can use a decongestant and acetaminophen for his general symptoms, but he'll need antibiotics to clear the infections. For the next three days he should be here in the infirmary, but after that he can go back to his quarters. He'll need quite a bit of rest since he's been hit with this triple-whammy of infection. Since he doesn't really have any immunity against our Earth diseases, I'm surprised that this hasn't happened sooner."

"How long will I be like this?" Michael asked, cuddling Sprint close.

"You should start to feel better after three or four days, but I won't let you go unless you show a marked improvement," Carstairs said. "You can keep Sprint for company as long as he doesn't get in the way or cause damage."

Michael hugged the suddenly-sleepy puppy. "He won't. Can I go to sleep now? Is it normal to want to go to sleep when you're sick?"

"More than normal, it's preferred you sleep. Sleep helps your body heal."

Michael settled more firmly into his pillows and closed his eyes. "If you say so."

Carstairs gave a few instructions to one of his staff regarding Michael before he and Simmons headed to his office.

"Well, this puts a damper in our plans, doesn't it?" Simmons muttered as he dropped into a chair. "It won't be a good idea to keep him on edge if he's sick, will it?"

"That would be the worst thing for him," Carstairs confirmed. "He needs as much physical and mental rest as he can get. I think our plans will have to wait."

"I'll notify the higher-ups," Simmons said. "Keep an eye on him, will you?"

"That's my job," Carstairs said lightly. "I'll notify you if there are any changes."

Simmons thanked him and headed up to his office, hoping that the higher-ups would understand.

--

"How do you know that that's where Michael is?" Sam asked, looking at the location listed in the notebook Maya held.

"I don't know how I know it, but I know it," she said. "It's like all the little clues I've seen so far--even those I haven't really realized were clues--suddenly lined themselves up in my head and helped me realize that this place is where he was."

Daniel looked at it. "This place? Hmm. I didn't think it would be here. It looks like it's all offices."

"The perfect way to hide something is to hide it in plain sight," Maya reminded him. "This place is where he is. There's no doubt about it."

"All right," Jack said, looking at the specs Daniel had listed. "Let's make plans, people."


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 40

It was like watching poetry in motion as Jack corralled resources and arranged transportation to the location Maya had said Michael was. Within twenty minutes transportation was arranged and the staff Jack requested were up at the surface, ready and raring to go. SG-1 headed up to the surface along with Maya, who, she'd said, would not be left behind. Sylvia, however, had to stay on the base while Maya and SG-1 carried out their rescue mission.

"It's nothing personal," Daniel had told Sylvia while he pulled on a jacket. "I know you've already signed the whole non-disclosure thing, but it's better if we keep you away from the notice of the NID. They're bad news."

"I understand," she said, sounding as if she really did understand. "You just be careful and bring your friend home, okay?"

Daniel gave her a hug. "I'll be careful. While we're gone you'll be a guest of the base, so if you need anything, let your handler know. Oh, make sure you go to the commissary tonight for dinner. They're having steak tips and noodles, and it's pretty good. So is the blueberry cobbler."

Sylvia laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."

"DANIEL! LET'S GO!"

"Sorry, Jack's calling me," Daniel said. "Gotta go."

"DANIEL!!"

With a final smile for her Daniel ran to the elevator, leaving Sylvia behind him trying to choke down laughter. The rest of the SG-1 was having the same problem as the doors closed and the elevator began to move up.

"Daniel?" Jack said as soon as he calmed down.

"Yeah, Jack?"

"How about next time you come the first time I call?" Occasionally Jack had to call Daniel several times before Daniel even realized that Jack was trying to get his attention and more than once Jack had to physically jog Daniel's shoulder before Daniel snapped out of it and began to pay attention to the world around him.

"Sorry, Jack."

"That's okay, Danny-boy. Let's go get your friend."

They reached the surface and piled into the van, Jack beating their designated driver to the driver's side of the car. "I'm driving, Lieutenant."

"Yes, sir," the lieutenant said, knowing better than to argue.

"Let's go, people. We've got an ally to rescue."

Back inside the base, Hammond returned to his office to continue working. After all, things didn't stop happening around the base just because SG-1 had left. He still had teams off-world, base operations to oversee, decisions on staff and routines to make, and countless other things to keep him busy. Not the least of things he had to do was examine the resumes and curriculum vitaes of potential staff. One of the potential staff--this woman called Sylvia--seemed particularly promising. Her linguistic and research skills were strong, and they needed someone like that on base as often as possible since most of their staff in the linguistic department often went off-world from time to time. Having a permanent researcher on base would be an asset and would save everyone a lot of headaches. Examining Sylvia's resume and curriculum vitae again, Hammond reflected on the possiblities of adding this woman to the staff.

A tap on the door frame brought him out of his brown study and he looked up to see Dr. Frasier standing in the doorway. "Hello, General," she said, entering the room. "Have a moment?"

"Of course, doctor," he assured her. "How is SG-15?" The team had come back from offworld covered with a very odd rash and Hammond had ordered the doctor to bring him news as soon as she had any.

"The good news is that it's not contagious," she said. "It was caused by the soap the natives gave them to wash with in order to, and I quote, 'foster a sense of cooperation among our two peoples.'"

Hammond blinked, not understanding. "Come again?"

"SG-15 said that they were following the local customs, which was that everyone wash up before beginning negotiations. There was some compound in the soap they used that made not only them but also the natives break out as well. We've been in contact with the planet and it seems that the cooperation they were looking for was relief of the itching."

Hammond thought about this. "Let me guess: You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours?"

"Precisely," Janet said, fighting down a chuckle. "The cooperation they were hoping for was that SG-15 would scratch their backs while they scratched SG-15's and hopefully, the natives told me, positive relations would be set up in the process. You've got to admit, sir, it's practically ingenious. How better to know you can trust someone than trusting that someone with scratching your back?"

"Mmm-hmm," Hammond said, feeling a great deal of sympathy for SG-15. "How are they?"

"Itchy," Janet said. "But the good news is, the more they scratch the rash the faster it heals. It seems scratching encourages it to heal. SG-15 will return to the planet once the rash is gone so they can re-begin negotiations."

"Good to hear it," Hammond said. "Just remind them to stay away from the soap."

"Will do, sir," Janet promised. "Where's SG-1?"

"On their way to rescue Lieutenant Campbell," Hammond told her. "Hopefully he's all right and they're able to bring him back."

"I hope so," Janet said. "You know, Daniel's more relaxed with Michael around. He's more willing to take a break and chill out. Considering how hard Daniel works himself, I hope Michael will stick around. If he does, we won't have to hound Daniel to take a break so often."

Hammond smiled. "Well, Lieutenant Campbell did say that it was possible he would be the liaison for his people. That means he'll be here often."

Janet understood what Hammond was implying and she grinned. "Awesome, sir."

--

Michael wondered how humans could stand this. How could they stand being at the nonexistent mercy of countless germs and diseases? _How?_ The amount of misery and pain caused by diseases was enough to make anyone go half-mad, but for a person who'd never been sick before it was impossible to stand. He felt tired, achy, sore-throaty, and absolutely wretched. No matter what he tried he didn't get better, and although Dr. Carstairs had told him it would take time to get well, Michael was certain that it couldn't take _this_ much time! It had been a short eternity already!

Carstairs' perpetually chummy mood didn't do anything to help him feel better, either. If Carstairs had been searching for a way to creep him out then he'd found it since the man was always there, ready to talk. It was eerie, especially when Carstairs began asking questions. At first, the questions surprised him since they'd already used some sort of drug on him to make him talk, but he figured that maybe he hadn't given away as much as he'd thought. That was somewhat heartening but the good feeling didn't last long. Michael knew the doctor was searching for information about him, so he did the best he could to conceal the truth while giving nothing away. It was taxing, though, to always keep things hidden. Part of him wanted to just tell them everything they wanted to know so he would be left alone, but his more cautious side kept his mouth shut.

Even more trying was Simmons' visits. He seemed worried about something and his tense air made it even harder for Michael to relax and rest. He had the feeling that something was about to happen and that Simmons was trying to hide it from him. Whatever it was, he hoped that it meant good news for him.

How long had he been sick? He couldn't be sure, but he had a feeling that a short eternity or two was a pretty good estimate. He slept a great deal, ate when he could force himself to, and tried to "listen" to what was going on around him, but it took a lot of effort. Most of his energy went into...well, resting. He either spent his time sleeping or curled up in bed with Sprint for company. Sprint seemed to know that something was wrong and stayed with him, whining every now and then as if showing Michael sympathy. Michael was deeply thankful for the presence of one creature who regarded him as a living being that needed companionship and love, rather than as a possible asset.

A few days after he first started to show symptoms Michael was woken up in the middle of the night by people rushing around the infirmary. He winced as someone turned on the bright overhead lights and yanked the covers off of him.

"Get up," he heard Carstairs say while his eyes adjusted to the light. "On your feet, now."

"Why?" Michael asked, fighting to sit up. "It's in the middle of the night."

"We're going," Carstairs told him, draping a jacket around his shoulders and shoving a pair of sneakers at him to put on. "Put these on."

"Where are we going?" Michael asked, pulling on the shoes.

"That's not important right now; we have to go," Carstairs told him.

"Carstairs?" Simmons said as he rushed into the infirmary.

"He's up," Carstairs said. "I've got all the important files. We're ready to go."

Michael, who had been digging through the blankets on the bed, whipped around. "No, we're not! I can't find Sprint!"

"Oh, you've got to be joking," Simmons said. "We're not going to stick around for a dog!"

"Sprint!" Michael called, looking under the bed. "Sprint! Here, boy!"

Simmons grabbed hold of him and pulled him to his feet. "We're going. The dog will be fine on his own."

"No!" Michael said, digging in his heels as Simmons tried to pull him to the door. "I'm not leaving without him!"

Simmons dug his fingers into the muscle of Michael's arm, making him wince in pain. "Listen, Lieutenant Campbell, we're going. Now. We're not sticking around for some mutt. You'd better hope we reach our destination without any trouble or your situation with us can become very, very uncomfortable. Understand?"

Feeling cold and sick at heart, Michael nodded and let Simmons pull him out the door.

--

"Looks like an office building," Jack said, examining their target through binoculars.

"With a lot of security," Daniel added as he gazed through his own pair. "With that much security, it stands to reason that they still have Michael there. Maya, can you tell if he's in there?"

"He is close by," Maya said. "I can feel him."

"All righty," Jack said. "Let's go."

The plan was simple: go in, neutralize the security without hurting anyone, find Michael, and get out.

It seemed the simplest plans were always the most effective. Within a half-hour they had the building secure, the staff contained, and they began searching for Michael. They found a room where Maya said Michael had been kept, but after an hour of searching they had to admit that neither Michael nor Simmons were in the building.

"They must have had some sort of warning," Jack muttered as they found an empty infirmary. "Dammit!"

Daniel sank into a chair and muttered something in Abydonian. "I don't believe this. They must have been sneaking out the back door while we were coming in the front."

Silence followed, but a whimpering startled all of them. They all looked, but it was Maya who found what it was. A puppy of indeterminate breed was under a chair, shaking and whimpering and looking like it had lost his best friend.

"Come out, little one," Maya said, holding out a hand to the pup. "We won't harm you."

The puppy came out, sniffed her hand, and licked it. She smiled and petted him and he snoozled up to her, his little tail giving a half-hearted wag.

"This creature has been Michael's companion," Maya said. "He misses him. They left not long ago with Michael, who has not been well. It seems his human body has caught an illness."

Sam looked over at Daniel and saw all the signs of worry. "He'll be okay, won't he?" Daniel asked.

"I think so," said Maya. "We should continue our search." She stood, still holding the puppy. "We owe it to Michael not to leave him with these people."

"It took a long time to figure out this was the place they were keeping him," Daniel said, sounding discouraged. "We're back at square one."

"Then we continue searching," Teal'c reminded his friend. "We will search until we find him."

"Teal'c's right," Jack said as they left the infirmary and headed back to their transportation. "We'll find him. We're not gonna give up, Danny. In the meantime, there's one good thing that's happened."

Daniel paused, confused. "What's that?"

"We've got a puppy to take care of until we get Michael back."

That actually surprised Daniel into a chuckle. Leave it to Jack to find the bright side of things. Knowing Jack, a dog or puppy was _always_ the bright side of things.

--

They reached the new building sometime around dawn and by that point Michael was more than ready to flop into the nearest bed and sleep until he'd slept himself out. The guards escorted him inside and Simmons gave orders.

"He's to be put into quarters and watched," Simmons said.

Michael sighed. "_He_ is standing right here and _he_ is too tired to do anything, so there's no reason to watch _him_," he said. "Simmons, all I want right now is a bed and quiet. I'll spar with you when I'm feeling better, all right? I promise."

Simmons just gestured to the guards, who escorted Michael toward the stairs. He went without protest, still listening to Simmons and Carstairs as they headed to...wherever.

"How did they find us?" Carstairs was saying.

"I have no clue," Simmons answered. "It's only fortunate that we have a bug in General Hammond's office so we can know what they're planning at the SGC."

Michael's entire body shuddered and his knees gave way just short of the stairs. The guards reached for him, but their hands passed through his shoulders with no resistance.

"Ahh," Michael said as he got to his feet. "I feel...better."

One of the guards radioed Simmons. "Sir? We have a problem."


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 41

None of SG-1 wanted to return to the base, and Maya certainly didn't want to, but General Hammond insisted. Grumbling and more than a little cranky, they complied, with the little puppy helping to cheer them up on the way. He was a cute little thing, all tongue and wagging tail with a dash of floppy ears thrown in. That combination helped them into a better mood so they greeted the general with smiles instead of grouchiness.

"Hi, sir," Jack said as he, his team, and Maya left the elevator.

General Hammond stared at the armful of wiggly puppy that Jack held. Seeing a possible new source of petting and love, the dog was trying with all his might to get to the general. "What's this, colonel?"

"This is a puppy," Jack said, scratching the dog's ears. "Cute, isn't he? Maya said that he's been keeping Michael company."

"So...you brought him back with you?" Hammond asked, eyeing the dog dubiously. Base policy about pets...he'd have to check up on that.

"We couldn't leave the poor little guy there, all alone and scared and shaking!" Sam protested, taking the dog from her CO and giving the little furball a cuddle. "We just couldn't!"

"Besides, he's Michael's," Daniel added. "When we find him he'll be glad to see him."

Hammond considered this and a stumbling block occurred to him. "Maya, will Michael be able to keep him? I mean, can dogs live on your planet?"

Maya chuckled and scratched the dog's head. "Of course. This little one will be quite comfortable with us. He'll probably be just as loved and fussed over as any of our children."

_This_ surprised all of SG-1. Although their memories of the planet were sketchy, they couldn't recall any signs of there being children there.

"That's because you saw none," Maya said, following their thoughts.

Jack jumped. "You know, that's a little creepy."

Maya looked at him, her eyes bright. "Really?"

Teal'c smiled. "Indeed. I feel that you find more than a little delight in that fact, Maya."

"More than a little," she admitted. "Yes."

"All right, time to debrief," Hammond said. "I want to hear what you've found."

"Okay," Jack said, following the general after taking the dog back from Carter. "My turn, Carter."

"Sir!" she protested.

Teal'c stepped between them and took the pup. "I believe it is my turn."

Both of them stared after the very tall Teal'c and decided that it was just as well.

The debriefing didn't take long and Hammond suggested they all get some rest. They would begin to search for Michael's new location in the morning. By this point, all the caffeine they'd drunk during the day had worn off and they were more than ready to get some shut-eye. Maya went to Daniel's office since she didn't feel tired and she was there five minutes before she realized she had no idea where the puppy was. She checked Colonel O'Neill's quarters, then Sam's and Teal'c's, and when she checked Daniel's quarters they were empty. Carefully, she searched for his mind and found it, deep in dreams, in someone else's quarters. She followed his mind and located him: he was in Sylvia's quarters, deeply asleep and both of them were cuddling the pup. Sylvia was still awake and thinking about the short evening she'd spent with Daniel before his fatigue had caught up with him. He'd brought the puppy to see her since he knew she loved animals and they'd spent a few minutes wearing the poor little thing out with a game of fetch. Ironically, it was Daniel who fell asleep first when they all stretched out on the bed together. The whole scene was awfully, terribly cute.

Sighing, Maya headed back to Daniel's office. She had work to do, but the memory of that scene in Sylvia's quarters stayed with her.

--

Simmons groaned and headed up the stairs to meet up with the guards and Michael. This man was almost more trouble than he was worth. If it wasn't one thing, it was another! He'd tried to set up a few options for him, such as getting to know Alyssa and her baby, working for the NID once he became used to being on Earth, but he'd rejected those choices. He'd threatened the man at first to throw him off balance, then coaxed him, tried to win his trust, and nothing he'd tried worked. Now there was _yet_ another problem. If he hadn't been ordered by his superiors to keep working with this man he would have given up long ago.

He reached the top of the stairs and froze, staring at the two guards who were backing away from…something. For a moment he didn't realize what he was seeing but seconds later it became clear. He was seeing Lieutenant Campbell, but it wasn't the man as he was used to seeing him. He was…different. Something had changed.

"What's happened?" Simmons asked, fighting down a rising feeling of panic.

Michael smiled. "Something good," he said. "Aah, I feel much, much better. Really, Simmons, I have to thank you."

Simmons paled. "The neural trigger…someone said it."

"Yes, you did," Michael said. "Thank you, Simmons."

"I…I said it?"

Michael smiled again. "Yes. I feel much better. "

Simmons kept staring. He hadn't expected what he saw now. Michael's normal form was…amazing. He seemed to glow with some sort of inner light that wasn't bright; it was just overpoweringly beautiful. For the first time in a very long time Simmons found himself touched by something that he couldn't understand. This being was so far beyond human and so far beyond his understanding that he couldn't speak or even think.

"It's been a while since I've been in my normal form," Michael said, looking himself up and down. "It feels good to be the way I used to be. Now, you're probably wondering why I'm still here, am I right?"

"That thought had crossed my mind," Simmons said, his throat dry. "I thought that as soon as you were…well, back to yourself…there would be no way you would stay."

"You're right," Michael said. "Simmons, I remained to ask you if you wish to remain where you are, or if you would like to make better use of your talents."

Of all things that Simmons had expected, this wasn't it. "Better use of my talents?"

"They are wasted with the NID, Simmons," Michael said. "I see a great deal of potential in you and I would hate to see it go to waste."

"What would be a better use of it?" Simmons wanted to know.

"Why not the SGC?" Michael suggested.

Simmons couldn't believe what he was hearing. "If all offworld missions were trusted to the SGC we would still be at square one, with no knowledge or no new technology at our disposal because they would still be making nice with the natives on a planet somewhere."

"And the NID has done such a wonderful job with offworld missions," Michael said wryly. "You can't tell me they've been an outstanding success, now, can you?"

Simmons thought about all the missions that had gone belly-up lately due to the "expedient" methods that the NID usually used. "Well, we have more success under our belts than the SGC do," he said. "I'd say that all those successes are a better use of my talents than the SGC."

Michael smiled again, that odd, secretive smile that gave nothing away yet spoke volumes. "You cannot fool me, Simmons, even though you can fool yourself. I cannot help you change unless you truly wish to change, you know."

Simmons felt his temper rise. "Who says I want to change?" he demanded. "You're acting as if…as if…" he trailed off, not certain of what to say.

"As if I were in charge." Michael gave that odd smile again. "Ironic, isn't it? In essence, that's how the situation stands now, so I'll repeat my offer. Would you like to put your talents to better use?"

Simmons fought down the urge to laugh. Who did this…well, being…think he was, trying to tell him how to run his life? "No, thanks," he said shortly. "Since you're still here, why don't we discuss a few things? For instance, how…"

Michael sharply held up a hand, interrupting him. "No, Simmons. No more discussions. No more questions. Now it is your turn to listen. You and the NID must stop what you are doing. You are causing more trouble for yourselves than you realize. Trust the SGC to do what they do. Stop interfering with other races. Stop trying to steal their technology. Stop allowing politics to dictate your actions. Do what is right rather than what advances your cause. Do you understand?"

Simmons raised an eyebrow. "Finished, Socrates?" His tone was more than a little sarcastic, but while he was speaking he had to marvel at how calmly he was able to face up to this being. He was pretty certain that the shock was just waiting to hit him and he would go running away, screaming at the top of his lungs.

The look on the being's face was so sad that Simmons felt the hard shell he'd built around his heart crack just a little. "It appears I am," Michael said. "Just please remember what I said, Simmons. For you and the NID, the time is not long."

With that, the light coming from Michael began to build, brightening until it was almost painful to look at. Simmons and his men backed away, fighting down panic. Who knew what this thing could do? What if he was angry about his imprisonment? Was he vindictive? Was he going to try to get revenge?

_You have much to learn before you understand my people,_ Simmons heard Michael say, but his mouth hadn't moved. _I only hope that you **will** learn, Simmons. It will be a great sadness to me if you do not learn, if you do not become all that you should be. Still, nothing I can say or do can make that happen. You will change or not as you wish. I hold nothing against you, and I will not seek revenge. I hope that if we ever meet again, it will be under better circumstances for us both. I look forward to actually getting to know you then. There is more to you than you realize, but then again, that is always the case with humans._

To say that he was shocked would have been putting it lightly. He'd expected hurt, anger, fury, but not this gentle forgiveness. Anyone--any _human_--would have been ready to tear him apart for what he had done. Instead, Michael promised him that he held no ill will toward him and he actually said that he wanted to see him again! It was borne home at that point that he and the NID had no idea at all of what they were dealing with.

The light kept growing, rising up toward the ceiling, forcing Simmons and his men to shield his eyes. Carstairs, seeing the light from where he was, came out to see what was going on and had to back away, the light too intense for him. Suddenly the light faded and he was able to look around, blinking watering eyes. "Simmons? What was that?"

Simmons turned around, also blinking. "That was your patient, Dr. Carstairs. It appears I said the words that set him free."

Carstairs stared at him. "What? How? What words?"

Simmons sighed and sat down on a step. "I have no idea, and oh, how I wish I did."

--

Daniel was deeply asleep when the puppy's barking woke him up. It took him a minute or two to completely wake up but once he did he sat up and looked around. The puppy was on the floor, running around in a circle and barking at the top of his lungs, clearly excited about something.

"What's wrong with him?" Daniel asked, getting to his feet.

"I don't know," Sylvia confessed from where she knelt. "I've been trying to calm him down but he won't listen to me."

The puppy's barking became more intense just then and both humans tried to stop him from barking.

"The general can probably hear this all the way in his office," Sylvia said after a moment or two.

"God, I hope not," Daniel said fervently. "Sometimes he gets a little cranky late at night."

"I'm sure he won't be cranky when he sees that I'm back and you can call off the search," they both heard. For a second or two they stared at the puppy, wondering if he'd suddenly taken it into his head to start talking, but laughter and light came from nowhere and coalesced into someone very familiar to Daniel.

"MICHAEL!" Daniel shouted, running straight at his friend.

"Hello, Daniel," Michael said, becoming solid just in time for his friend to give him an almost bone-crushing hug. "How have you been?"

"Oh, I've been just fine," Daniel assured him. "How about you? Are you all right? Simmons didn't hurt you, did he?"

"I'm fine," Michael promised.

A knock on the door brought them out of their greetings and the door opened to reveal Maya. She flew at Michael and gave him a hug. "Hello, brother."

"Sister," Michael said warmly. "It's good to see you."

"It is very good to see you."

In the middle of all of this Sprint was hopping around, barking and yelping in joy and demanding to be part of the hugging. Michael complied, scooping the puppy up and hugging him before letting the pup lick his face. "Hello, Sprint."

"That's his name?" Daniel asked, scratching the dog's ears.

"Yes, because for a while that's all he did," Michael explained. All four of them stayed together, Michael, Maya, and Daniel talking a great deal while Sylvia stayed close by and kept them company. After a few hours, Daniel remembered that he had to let General Hammond know that their envoy was back and was okay, and he had to call Janet so Michael could have a physical and be checked out.

"Oh, do we have to?" Michael complained when Daniel mentioned this.

"I'm no more eager for all the fuss than you are," Daniel confessed. "Still, if we don't do it we'll hear about it in the morning."

Sighing, Michael promised Maya and Sylvia that they would be back soon and he allowed Daniel to whisk him off to the general's office. He was actually looking forward to seeing the older man's face when he spotted them. That would definitely be worth seeing.


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 42

Simmons sat in his office fighting off a headache of monumental proportions. How long had it been since all of this operation went off merrily to hell? It felt like a couple of decades, but in reality it was only a few days. The higher-ups were baying for blood and more than one person had sent out memos suggesting that perhaps Simmons had outlived his usefulness. The phrases from those memos kept circling around in his head.

_The fact that yet another potential source of information has been lost must be taken into consideration…_

_This office received assurance that there would be no difficulties…_

_The fact that Mr. Simmons has failed to fulfill another assigned mission begs the question…_

His head began pounding even more. None of these people even began to understand what he was up against in this job of his. No, it was no longer a job, it was a life. An entire life. He had no life outside of work now. When he'd taken this position he had promised the NID that he would deliver the results they wanted. So far, he hadn't managed that. He'd done what he could to infiltrate the SGC and get some of the staff onto his side (through appealing to their patriotism, making them question the policies of the SGC or through blackmail, whatever worked), and he'd found the best hackers possible to break into the computers on the base. What he couldn't understand was why nothing he did worked.

He kept thinking that there was something he was missing, but what on earth _was_ it?

Michael's words came back to him. _I_ _remained to ask you if you wish to remain where you are, or if you would like to make better use of your talents. __You have much to learn before you understand my people. __I only hope that you __**will**__ learn, Simmons. It will be a great sadness to me if you do not learn, if you do not become all that you should be. Still, nothing I can say or do can make that happen. You will change or not as you wish. I hold nothing against you, and I will not seek revenge. I hope that if we ever meet again, it will be under better circumstances for us both. I look forward to actually getting to know you then. There is more to you than you realize, but then again, that is always the case with humans._

Words. That was all, but what was he missing? He had a feeling that there was something in all those words that should tell him exactly what had gone wrong, but what on earth was it?

He pulled the file the doctor had completed across the desk to open it and try to make sense of what was in it. Dr. Carstairs had done a complete psych evaluation based on what he'd observed on Michael, and he'd included a complete workup of the man's—being's—personality. Having a grasp of a "guest's" personality always gave the NID an idea of how to handle and approach each "guest." Understanding a person's personality gave each NID handler an idea of how that person thought and was motivated, essentially, they learned what it was that made that person "tick." According to the file, Michael's personality could be slated as INFJ, which stood for Introverted, Intuition, Feeling, Judging. It was the rarest type of personality among the population in the Unites States and if the model held true, then among the larger world population. Such a personality accounted for less than 1% percent of all people. Such people had highly complex characters and had an unusual depth and range of talents and abilities, and they were strongly humanitarian in their outlook and thinking about the world. They had the clearest insight possible into the motivations, good or bad, of others and they tended to be highly empathic. They had an innate ability to understand people, and sometimes that understanding was so deep that even the INFJs failed to understand it. They had high personal charisma which tended to draw others toward them, and their intuition was just as strong as their empathy. Despite their charisma, they preferred to have only a few close friends rather than a large number of friends. An intimate gathering of close friends was fine, but a rave where they invited everyone they knew was not what they preferred. Conflict was something they could not bear for very long and they went out of their way to avoid hurting someone. They were strongly interested in people and were interested in the welfare of humanity at large. INFJs formed their own values systems that were based on human beings and human values rather than on other ideas or concepts and any cause they embraced was adopted because of the cause itself, rather than the praise or glory doing so could bring. Things that hurt people either physically or mentally were highly repugnant to them. In addition, they were highly creative and were "people" persons; work in the public sector like teaching or counseling appealed to them. Ironically, INFJs also tended to withdraw from the world periodically and isolate themselves for a short period of time in order to give themselves a break from others' emotions.

The entire description fit the man he knew as "Lieutenant Michael Campbell" to a T. He'd always been concerned for the welfare of others and had found helping others to be the most fulfilling. He'd become close friends with Daniel Jackson and to a lesser degree, with SG-1, General Hammond, and Dr. Frasier. That was just further proof of Michael's draw for people. Simmons had seen clips from tapes of how people like General Hammond and Dr. Frasier at the SGC tended to gravitate toward Michael.

So what did this tell him? No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make himself understand Michael through this information. The man wasn't even human, yet according to the profile, he was strongly concerned with human beings and human values.

Simmons looked carefully at the data in front of him. Human beings and values, yes, but what if instead of "human" he should substitute the term "Michael's people"? Looking at it that way, it made a bit more sense. In addition, it worried him. If this supposition was correct, then Michael came from a whole race of people like this! If they weren't exactly the same, then could one suspect that they were at least similar?

No wonder all of the tactics he'd tried with Michael had failed. All of the tactics had been geared toward some form of manipulation and according to Dr. Carstairs' analysis, manipulation didn't really work on people with Michael's personality. They could be made to feel sorry for someone or made to feel sad or guilty or afraid, but if alleviating those feelings went against what they thought to be right, then they would seek another solution that fit their ideals. If there was no apparent immediate solution, then they would wait until a better choice came along.

"Personality is complex," he could remember Carstairs telling him. "It can influence the way we make decisions and how we handle difficulties. Also, it determines how we interact with others and how we view the world. There's really no way to get away from it."

Simmons pinched the bridge of his nose. It looked like he had screwed this up beyond any and all description. He doubted very much if any of this situation had been salvageable from the start. For a while he thought he'd begun to succeed at this when he tricked Michael into thinking that he'd told them everything under the influence of a "truth serum" (that had been nothing more than a light sedative, but the cloudy-mindedness had done what they'd intended) but his hopes had been dashed again. They'd had little to no chance of success with Michael. Sighing, he leaned back in his office chair and began to think. How could he save this whole thing from going into the wastebasket? More importantly, how was he going to save his job? He knew that the answer was right there in front of him-something to do with Michael and how he and his people thought-but he had a feeling that he had to do and say exactly the right things, or the situation would get even worse. Taking out pen and paper, Simmons began to think.

* * *

General Hammond was a sorely puzzled man. He doubted if he'd ever fathom a universe that liked to play with people's heads like this one did. Michael had returned and been reunited with Dr. Jackson and Maya, but now, it seemed he had disappeared again. This time, however, it seemed that he had left under his own steam and had told Dr. Jackson that he would be back later.

"And he never said where he was going?" Hammond asked.

Daniel shook his head. "No, sir. He told me that there was something he had to take care of and that he would be back once he'd taken care of it. He didn't say what it was or how long it would take."

"Fabulous," Hammond muttered. "I know I briefed him on travel and protection protocols for offworld envoys. If he'd told me what he was planning I would have arranged an escort and transportation."

Daniel's lips pursed slightly. "I think he wanted to take care of this himself, sir," he said. "He didn't come out and say it, but that was the impression I got. Something was...bothering him, I suppose."

Now Hammond was intrigued. It might be true that Daniel's prolonged contact with Michael had given him some insight into how the man thought, but aside from that, Daniel was a very perceptive man. Whatever he'd observed, it was important. "Any thoughts?"

"Nothing concreate, just occasional suppositions," Daniel said, sounding very tired. "I'm running through this morning in my head, but I don't think I saw anything that could give me a clue to Michael's actions. He arrived, we whisked him off to the infirmary for his check-up and debriefing with you, then he requested some time alone with Maya. Then we saw the two of them in the commissary at lunchtime, and shortly after that Michael was in my office to tell me that he would be gone for a short time and not to worry."

The general sighed. "I see. Before he came to your office, was there anything-?"

Daniel knew what he was asking. "He didn't tell me anything and I didn't see anything to worry about besides a slight preoccupation. I thought that was because he'd just returned from being kidnapped and held by Simmons. I didn't think he'd just...bug out like this."

Hammond smiled at the use of the military term. "I see. Do you think he told Maya anything?"

Daniel shrugged. "We can ask, sir. That doesn't mean she'll tell us."

Now Hammond was confused. "Why not?"

"If she feels it's something that should remain private, then she won't tell us. Also, it's not always necessary that we know everything right when we ask. That's just the way their people think."

Hammond nodded and fought down a sigh of exasperation. "All right. Let's go see if she'll tell us anything."

They found Maya in her quarters with Sam, Sylvia and Janet. It was amazing, but all of them were deep in a discussion of...well, Jack would call it "girl stuff."

"How much time do you spend on these preparations?" Maya was asking as the two men approached the door.

"It shouldn't take more than five minutes for your face and five minutes for your hair. Any longer than that and it's a waste of time," Janet told her.

"And remember, too little makeup is better than too much!"

Neither man realized he was backpedaling until they reached the elevators.

"Why don't we ask them when they're...done?" Daniel suggested, feeling the panic recede just a little bit.

"Excellent idea," Hammond told him. "No need to interrupt."

"Right."

Neither of them moved.

"We kind of need to know, though," Daniel said after a moment.

"And interrupt some...secret female ritual?"

Daniel fought down a chuckle. "Sir, you sound just as panicked as I felt just now!"

"The last time I walked into the middle of something like that I didn't get out again for a while," he said calmly. "Trust me, it's a good idea for neither of us to go in there, even if it's a possible matter of national security."

Hammond hit the button for the elevators and waited.

"You walked into something like that?" Daniel asked curiously.

"My granddaughters' slumber party," Hammond said. "And you are honor-bound not to share that."

Daniel winced. "What happened?"

"I went in to see if they wanted any snacks and the next thing I know I'm having my nails painted 'Passion Pink' or some such color," he muttered as the elvator opened and they slipped inside. "I guess they'd done all they could to each other and had decided to torture the next available person."

Daniel chuckled. "I know what you mean. The women on Abydos kept themselves immaculately groomed and they even insisted on keeping the men the same way. Poor Sha're had her hands full with me because I didn't understand why having her manicure my hands was so important."

Hammond looked at him and felt a smile spread over his face. "Really?"

Daniel nodded. "Really. Kasuf took me aside about a week after Jack left and explained matters to me. Apparently, it reflected poorly on the wife if her husband was ill-groomed, so I gave in and let her do what she wished. We may have been doing hard work like farm chores on Abydos, but we all took care of ourselves as much as possible. If you spared the time to take care of yourself, then you worked that much better."

"So when you weren't working, you spent your time in the beauty salon?" Hammond teased.

"Pretty much," Daniel admitted. "After a while I learned how to do nails and the like and returned the favor for Sha're when she'd let me." Daniel paused and thought about what he'd said. "Sir, could I ask you not to mention that to Jack?"

"Certainly," Hammond promised. "He'll never hear of it from me."

"Thank you," Daniel said fervently. "If Jack heard something like that, I'd never hear the end of it."

"It's no problem," Hammond said. By this point they were approaching his office. "So, was Sha're horrified by the off-worlder who didn't know he had to have his nails done?"

Daniel grinned. "No, I think she understood that it was different where I came from. It was all the old women who were horrified, I think. They all called me 'grandson' and would ask my help with some little chore in an effort to get near me. Once the chore was done they'd give me something to drink and as I was distracted with that fingers would descend on my head. It was a habit with them to braid their grandsons' hair when they were young, but married men didn't really wear that style. Sha're fell over laughing the first time she saw me with braided hair and when she asked, the older women told her that they really had to start from scratch with me."

Hammond couldn't help himself. He threw his head back and laughed. He was about to ask a question when someone knocked at the door and he called for them to come in.

"Hello, General, Daniel," Maya said politely as she entered. "It's good to hear you both in such high spirits."

"Dr. Jackson was sharing a few stories," Hammond explained.

She nodded. "I sensed you coming to my quarters earlier, but you didn't come in."

"Well, we didn't want to interrupt," Daniel said quickly. "What you were doing sounded...important."

She smiled. "Sam, Janet, and Sylvia thought it imperative to teach me about human female beauty."

"Have fun?" Hammond asked.

Maya laughed and took a seat. "Yes, a great deal of fun."

Daniel looked closely and realized that she was still wearing makeup. It looked quite nice.

"What was it that you wanted to ask me?" she asked, curling her feet under her.

"We were wondering if Michael told you anything before he left," Hammond said. "He left pretty quickly and we're starting to be worried."

Maya nodded. "He told me that he had to do something before we returned home and that it couldn't wait. I think that whatever it is, it's very personal for him. When he told me he was going, I could get no sense of what he intended to do. He usually doesn't shut others out unless it's something very, very personal or private."

"I see," Hammond said, feeling slightly frustrated. "Did he say where he was going or how long it would take?"

Maya shook her head. "No. That was hidden from me and I didn't wish to pry. I am sure he will not be gone much longer. If he is gone longer than today and tomorrow, then there will be cause for worry."

Neither man mentioned that that statement wasn't the most comforting.

* * *

Alyssa sighed and put the kettle on to boil. Today had been a long day and right now she wanted nothing more than cup of tea and a few minutes in a comfy chair. It had been her first day of work since maternity leave and she'd almost forgotten how frantic work could get. There had been lots of phone calls and things to type up and the number of people who'd made appointments to come in tomorrow did not bear thinking about. The chaos of the day made coming home that much sweeter. She'd come home after picking Jimmy up from daycare, fed him his supper, played with him a little, and got him ready for bed. Once he was safely asleep she could take a little time for herself and unwind. A cup of hot tea was nice and at long last, she was able to pick up the latest book she'd bought and read a few pages.

She didn't need to confess to herself that she was trying to distract herself from things she'd rather not remember. The thought that Michael would really like the book she was trying to read wasn't helping.

She was deep in Chapter Two when she heard Jimmy's voice come over the baby monitor. He sounded wide awake and was laughing happily at something. He babbled a few of his words and laughed again and Alyssa felt her entire body freeze as a tenor voice answered him. There was someone in Jimmy's room!

She didn't remember leaving her chair, exiting the living room, or running up the steps. The next conscious memory she had was of standing in the doorway staring at someone she'd never thought to see again.

"Hello, Alyssa," Michael said calmly. To her horror, he was holding Jimmy.

"Michael," she gasped. "What-? What are you doing here? How did you know where I lived? What do you want?"

He looked surprised. "You're afraid, aren't you?"

"No," she lied. This man wasn't human, no matter how human he looked. She had to remember that.

"You are," he said simply. "But it's all right. I'm not going to hurt you."

"What are you doing here?"

Michael looked at the baby he held and smiled as Jimmy reached out and patted his nose. "I came to say goodbye."

She stared. She hadn't expected this. "You did?"

Michael nodded. "Despite things not working out between us, I still came to care for this little one. I love him as much as I would love any child."

"What about your own child?"

Something changed in his face then. "Where I come from, any child would also be my child. Everyone is a parent since there are so few children. My people do not conceive easily and conditions have to be right for our children to mature. Because of that, no one is ever denied access to children. We are all parents to the few children we have."

She seemed to think about that. "So, the saying 'it takes a village to raise a child' is true in your case, isn't it?"

He nodded. "Yes." He shifted Jimmy in his arms and looked down at the little boy. "No child is ever without mothers or fathers."

She was amazed at the difference in him after such a short time. He seemed...sad. She was used to seeing him smile a lot more. "Michael, I'm...sorry. I shouldn't have treated you that way, but I was desperate for Jimmy's sake. Since my husband left, money has been so tight. I know that that doesn't excuse what I did, but it is an explanation."

He looked at her, still cuddling the little boy. "I understand." A ghost of a smile crossed his face as Jimmy babbled at him. "I do understand, Alyssa. I know what it is to love someone so much that you would do anything you could for them. I am glad you could find it in yourself to apologize."

Alyssa felt tears begin to sting her eyes. "An apology isn't enough, but it's all I can do," she said.

He nodded again. "It does me good to hear you say it, Alyssa. That's part of what I like about humans. They always have the capacity to feel and learn from their feelings."

She wondered how he knew that. How many humans could he have known, anyway? He made it sound as if he could read people's minds! Oh...wait. He could.

Michael sat down in the nearby rocker and began to rock Jimmy. "Yes, I can read minds, but that's not really an accurate description. There's more to it than that." He fell quiet then, rocking Jimmy for a few minutes. "You know, your thoughts are very loud, Alyssa. I'm not going to seek revenge on you like you're fearing. Also, I'm not going to take Jimmy away from you in order to hurt you. He's a child and he needs to be with his mother. Understand?"

She nodded. "I know. I don't know why I'm thinking of all this stuff."

"I'm not human, so you don't really know how I'm going to act," he reminded her.

She looked at him and decided to come right out and say it. "Michael, when I hurt you-I mean, I was really hoping that you'd come to care for me and I was sure I could make you happy, but-but how did you really feel?"

"You want to know my feelings for you and if you truly hurt me," he translated. "Yes, I was hurt. I hadn't realized I could feel that way, so it was more than a little bit of a shock when it happened. Still, I don't expect my life to be nothing but joy. You can never be truly happy unless you have some pain to let you know how great happiness can be. As for my feelings for you..." He stopped and appeared to think, considering his words carefully before he spoke. "I was beginning to love you. I don't know if it was because you were someone kind in a place where I was being held prisoner or if I had come to love you irrespective of my surroundings, but that was how I felt. I looked forward to your company every day and thought about you when you weren't there. I found myself thinking of ways to make you laugh or smile at me. When I was in your company, there wasn't anywhere else I wanted to be."

When he fell silent she felt the tears begin to run down her face. "And...and now?"

He cuddled Jimmy. "The same."

She couldn't believe it. She'd behaved in unspeakable ways toward him, and he still felt that way?

"I know I couldn't stay with you even if you were to ask me to," he said quickly. "Even though I would like to, I can't. It wouldn't work, and I think you know that, too."

She nodded, trying to get herself to stop crying. "I think I ruined something that was going to be very wonderful for both of us, Michael."

Michael stood and came over to her, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Don't regret it so much, Alyssa. I know that you've learned from it. Didn't you think to yourself that you would never do such a thing again? Haven't you been regretting it ever since that night? I think you've been punishing yourself since then with all this regret."

She looked at him. "It's no less than I deserve, Michael."

He shook his head. "You've learned. That is what is important. I understand why you did what you did and I forgive you for it. You've shown that you've learned from it, you've shown me that you always thought of me as a person. You came to care for me. That is what is important. You don't need to keep regretting."

With those words, she was sobbing into his chest and he held her until the storm of tears died down. "I'm sorry!" she gasped. "I'm so sorry!"

"You don't need to worry any more," he told her firmly. "I think you'll be all right. You'll be a wonderful mother for Jimmy and you'll be happy."

She gulped, trying to get herself under control. "What about you? I think that what I did-will you be able to trust others again? Will you be able to be happy, too?"

The smile on his face was heart-breaking and at the same time, there was so much joy in it that she couldn't understand it. "Yes. I will be happy. You don't need to worry about that, Alyssa." He stopped and appeared to be listening to something. "They are getting worried that I've been gone so long," he said. "You won't see me again."

"What if I wanted to?" she asked, desperate to try to make amends to him in some way.

He didn't answer, instead, he cuddled Jimmy, kissed his forehead, and laid him back in his crib, saying something in a language she didn't recognize.

"What does that mean?" she asked.

He turned to her and gave that same smile she couldn't grasp. "I told him I loved him. I told him in the words my people use. They don't really translate, but those words are the best blessing I could give." He reached out, laid a hand on the side of her face and wiped her tears away before repeating them. "They are the best blessing I can give you, Alyssa. I love you. Be happy."

With that, he was gone.


	44. Chapter 44

A/N: Contrary to popular belief, I am still alive! I've been very busy, but I'm alive! I've been working on this for a while now and I'm still not happy with it, but if I edit it much more I'll have nothing left! Enjoy and please don't flame me too badly!

Chapter 43

Daniel leaned back into the cushions behind him and sighed. This was the part of his job he loved, unreservedly. He was out in the field, doing archeological and anthropological work, talking to people and learning about a new culture. The fact that it was Michael's culture made it all the better.

It had been six weeks since Michael had returned from being Simmons' prisoner. Amazingly, they'd heard nothing from Simmons or the NID about Michael or even about Daniel. Michael had told them that Simmons had threatened Daniel since he'd been the one to "carry" Michael's consciousness, but it seemed as if Simmons had disappeared. As Jack had said, thank goodness for small mercies and it was best to let sleeping rats lie.

Michael didn't talk much about his time with the NID to anyone but Maya, but Daniel could understand his reluctance to discuss it. Sometimes, it took someone you were close with to help you come to terms with something upsetting. Michael had never said that it had upset him, but Daniel had known better and had taken his friend aside soon after his return.

"Michael, you don't have to tell any of us here at the base if you don't want to," he could remember telling his friend. "But we do have some idea of what you've gone through. At the very least, talk to _someone_ about what happened, all right?"

Michael had nodded and promised. "I'll talk to Maya. I'm not saying that no one here at the base understands my experience because I know that most of you have had something similar to it happen, but Maya will understand how I'm thinking right now."

Michael and Maya had spent hours together talking while they were guests on the base. They could be seen occasionally wandering around the common areas of the base, talking so quietly that they couldn't be heard. Sometimes, their lips weren't moving, but people who saw them could tell that they were communicating. As time passed, Michael lost a bit of the haunted look that had lingered in his eyes since his return and he seemed more at ease. That tiny fact alone made Daniel very happy for his friend.

Michael and Maya didn't spend all their time talking, however. They were still the envoys for their people and it was their responsibility to set up the alliance between their people and the United States and their allies. There was even a trade agreement being set up and it was one of the strangest that Daniel had ever seen. He could remember the reception and the meeting very well and the perplexed looks on the Earth delegates' faces.

"We can offer very little technology that you will be able to use," Maya had said. "Most of it is keyed to our DNA and our attempts to modify it to accommodate yours have failed. Our technologists have told us that further attempts would not be wise."

"If you cannot offer technology, what can you offer?" the delegate from Russia asked. Daniel could tell that he'd been expecting a new offworld ally to come loaded with stuff covered with bells and whistles. Somehow, Daniel had a feeling that nothing Michael and Maya's people used would have anything so gauche as bells and whistles.

"Medicines," Michael piped up. He was doing his job of envoy very well and Daniel was having more than a bit of fun watching him in action.

The delegate from China sat up. "Medicines? Is that all?"

Daniel smiled. He'd been watching Michael and Maya during the reception and knew right away that they were old hands at this type of negotiation. Given the nature of their people, both sides would end up with an agreement that benefitted them_ and_ made them happy. He hoped the politicians were taking notes.

"Medicines and our skills in healing, agriculture, and environmental science," Michael continued. "There are parts of your planet that are under environmental distress and our people know how to correct such distress. We can lend our knowledge so that arid or poisoned soil can become arable land for food production. Polluted waters can become purified and suitable for drinking. We can even help you preserve endangered species and restore fragile ecosystems. All of these actions together will help your planet to achieve its rightful balance."

Daniel knew that the image of a balanced world would appeal to the Chinese delegate. Michael deserved major points for that maneuver.

"And you mentioned medicines?" the French delegate prompted.

Maya smiled. "Medicines to halt various cancers, medicines to reverse damage to failed organs and restore their functions, medicines to combat the effects of too much alcohol or harmful drugs, medicines to restore mental health, and medicines to heal damage to nervous tissue."

Somewhere, Daniel heard someone drop a pen and it rolled across the floor.

"_Boshye moy_," the Russian delegate gasped. "I do not believe…"

"We can also offer our healing skills," Michael added. "Our healers will be more than happy to teach your healers our most effective techniques and practices for physical and mental healing."

Briefly, Daniel wondered if the delegates had forgotten to breathe. General Hammond looked highly amused and Jack had such a smile on his face that Daniel was hard put to keep from laughing out loud. At least Teal'c and Sam were able to keep up some level of decorum for SG-1.

"Our farmers have also offered several viands that our healers feel might be good for you," Michael continued, blithely ignoring the shocked silence. "They have offered several fruits, vegetables, tubers, legumes, nuts, and grains. All are easy to grow and propagate, they are hardy and packed with beneficial nutrients, and they are unlikely to proliferate outside of farm conditions."

Someone else dropped a pen. The expressions on most of the delegates' faces were priceless! All of them looked as if they were sure this whole thing was a dream and none of them wanted to wake up!

"Those are very impressive offerings," the President said after taking a good drink of water. "We will, of course, have to discuss them, but what can we offer you? What would you like in exchange? Samples of our technology? Fuels?"

"We have no need for such items," Maya said. "As kind as the offer is, we would have no use for them. No, in exchange, our people would like several things. Chocolate, for one."

The delegate from Germany choked, cleared his throat, and looked at them with an effort. "Chocolate?"

"Yes, chocolate," Maya said firmly. "It's quite good and our people have become very fond of its taste. Have you had chocolate?"

"_Mein_ _Gott_, of course," the delegate said. "I do not think there is one person in this room who has not had it. But…chocolate?"

"To our people it is something new," Michael said. "They're willing to trade for it. Aside from chocolate, they would like samples of different vegetables, fruits and grains from Earth, as well as cotton and tea plants. Seasonings like pepper and cinnamon would be welcome, too. We do not have such things on our planet and our people are eager to try them."

The delegate from China raised his hand. "Forgive me, but I am curious. How do your people know all about our world and what is on it? How do you know such things like tea plants exist?"

Michael smiled. "I read about your world in a book, and usually what one of us knows, the others learn as well."

Daniel nearly dropped his clipboard. They were talking about collective memory! Only a few races they'd come across had that, and the Ascended Ancients were one of them.

"We would also like to set up a cultural exchange," Maya said brightly. "We would like to know much more about your history, literature, and arts. Is this possible?"

Every expression Daniel could see said clearly, _That's all you want?_ He had a strong feeling that both sides were sure they'd gotten the better part of the bargain, but that was just a hunch.

Now, several weeks later, he was here on Michael's homeworld, doing his part of the alliance and trade thing. He was one of the scholars that had been requested to visit their world and he had to admit that being there was pretty relaxing.

Being on this world was like being on an academic vacation! There was no better description of it to be found. The rhythm of daily life was slower than it was at home, that was for sure. The people were warm and welcoming, the surroundings were gorgeous, and he was frequently told to relax and take it easy as much as he wished.

He wasn't there solely to fulfill the trade agreement, though. Michael had told him that as soon as his people extended their invitation to him. According to Michael, if he, Daniel, agreed to go, his people would do their best to help him recover from his recent bad experiences.

"But I'm fine," he could remember saying absently while he packed for his trip. All he could really take were some spare BDUs, gear, and some books, but it was a challenge to get it all in the two bags he had. "I'm back where I belong and away from the Ashah and they can't do anything to me now. I'm fine."

"But you're not," Michael persisted. "Maya feels the same way I do."

"I'm fine," Daniel said, getting one bag closed and then looking around for a book. "Have you seen my copy of…oh, never mind," he said, spotting it. "I really am fine, Michael."

"You have nightmares every night," Michael said flatly. "That isn't fine."

Daniel stared at him. "Did you look in my head?"

"No, your dreams are loud," Michael said unhappily. "They woke me up after they woke Maya up."

"Nightmares are normal," Daniel told him, wrestling another two books into his bag. "They'll go away after a while."

"And your headaches?"

"Normal headaches," Daniel said flatly. "Nothing to worry about."

Michael nodded. "I see. Will you still come, even though we have argued?"

Michael's question actually made him laugh. "Michael, this is a slight disagreement, not an argument. If you want to hear an argument, listen to Jack and I yell at each other when he thinks I want to do something dangerous. You'll hear the difference right away."

Michael returned to his home with Daniel while Maya stayed on Earth to be the envoy for a little while longer. When asked, Michael confessed that his people would like him to return home for a bit since they'd missed him and they felt that he would be the best guide for Daniel. Now, being on the planet, Daniel was beginning to understand Michael's people a bit more. They not only had a collective memory, they had a collective consciousness as well as individual ones. They were able to communicate instantaneously, too, and all those capabilities together meant that they were very, very advanced beings indeed. He spent at least five hours a day out of twenty-five talking about Earth history and as much time as possible learning as much as he could about their history and their society. He still hadn't learned what they called themselves, but Michael had told him that such information would be available when the time was right for him to know it. Frustrating, but there it was.

They were very peaceful people. The majority of them lived in small villages scattered around the globe, but there were trading cities in various areas that were able to support larger populations. The only city not devoted to trade was the one that housed their government, and that was the city they took Daniel to first. The global archives were there and Daniel spent a glorious few days reading the Chronicles, which were digests of their global history. Their script resembled the Proto-Sintic like script on the item he and SG-1 had taken back to Earth a lifetime ago and he managed to learn it with little difficulty so he could read things on his own. Achievements like the implementation of a peaceful government and scientific advancements were listed in the Chronicles, as were several men and women who had made important discoveries. He found it all enthralling reading and more than once Michael would find him slumped in his chair, head pillowed on the volume he'd been reading, deeply asleep.

Aside from being allowed to read the Chronicles and prowl the global (_global!_) library, Daniel was taken to museums and allowed to examine artifacts to his heart's content. Aside from that were visits to theaters to see plays, musical performances, and even their versions of ballet and opera. One place he enjoyed greatly was the Sanctuary, which was their version of a church or temple. He was able to see a religious service and hear the accompanying music and when he left the Sanctuary he was calmer than he could remember being for a while.

His hosts refused to allow him to spend all his time in his work, however, and they were determined to make sure he had fun as well. It didn't matter to them that he thought his work was plenty of fun already. He was taken on sightseeing expeditions to various historical sites and natural wonders. He saw mountains to rival the Himalayas, a waterfall that put Niagra Falls to shame, a painted desert that had colors he'd never seen before, and forests so ancient that there was no way to truly reckon their age. Aside from that he saw plenty of ruins and he was deeply thankful that he'd thought to pack a few extra memory cards for his camera. There were excursions to the seaside and an inland lake for swimming and sailing, and he spent a few days at what could only be called a spa, where he had baths in hot springs, plenty of massages, and sudden nap attacks on the outside terraces.

"You're looking pretty relaxed," Michael had said when Daniel woke up from one of his unintentional naps.

"I feel pretty relaxed," Daniel confessed. "This place, it'll do that to you. Is that why you brought me here?"

"That, and Maya suggested I would benefit from a visit here. She made it quite clear that she would be angry if I skipped it."

Neither of them could help chuckling at that.

When his time wasn't taken up by his research or any of the activities his hosts had planned for him, he was able to learn about the culture. He talked to all sorts of people and he followed the daily patterns that these people lived by. One thing that he felt a lot of people on his world could benefit from were the daily times that everyone, by mutual agreement and custom, had set aside for just _being_.

"So there are times when you do nothing at all?" he'd asked when he'd first heard of the topic. "Just…nothing?"

"Not nothing," Michael corrected. "We breathe. We see and hear the world around us. We experience life in that moment. We do not fret about the things we could be accomplishing, we do not worry about difficulties we've been having, we just allow ourselves to simply exist. That is all."

Daniel decided to try the practice once and as soon as he was able to focus on just _being_, he was hooked. He was aware of his surroundings and the other people in the room with him, but he was fully focused on himself for a short while. He could feel his heart beating, his chest expanding and collapsing as he breathed, and his muscles relaxing as he took everything in. It took him several sessions before he realized that this practice of being was a lot like meditation and it wasn't long before he began to look forward to it.

His hosts were generous with their time and with answers to his myriad questions. They were also generous with their hospitality and more often than not he found himself invited to someone's home for a snack or meal, plenty of storytelling, and even a bed for the night. Michael had warned him that to refuse such hospitality would be a grave insult, so for a while, he slept in a different place every night. This happened most often in Michael's home village, which was closest to the Gate and where he and Michael spent most of their time after their visit to the capital when they weren't traveling. Once every eight days a party was held in the center of the village, one with plenty of food, talk, music, and dancing. Such gatherings, Michael told him, translated to something that sounded like _uarathalal_. It was the closest that the term could come to a spoken word, but it was basically a gathering where everyone enjoyed being together.

Most of the women and even some of the men seemed to think that he was in imminent danger of starving. He first realized this when third helpings were pressed on him during his first meal on the planet and Michael explained that certain foods were supposed to be good for the soul as well as for the body.

"Does everyone know what happened to me?"

"Almost everyone," Michael said. "Our children don't know; it is too soon for them to understand such things and it would only distress them."

"I see," Daniel said, sighing. "You know, if I eat too much I'll lose my health."

"Says the man who lost quite a bit of weight recently," Michael teased. "You look as if you've been given someone else's clothes to grow into."

Daniel looked at how his BDUs hung on his frame and sighed again. "Okay, so I lost weight. I don't need to eat as if I'm in some sort of eating competition, though."

"Competition?"

"Never mind." He was sure he didn't want to explain the world of competitive eating to Michael. There were just some things that could not be explained.

It wasn't long after this conversation that Daniel found several suits of clothes in his room, all of them tailored to fit and in the local style. He wore one of the outfits to the next village gathering and a lot of people remarked how well the new clothing suited him. He chatted with the villagers and danced when invited to and for the first time in a very long time, he felt like himself again.

Memories of his entire visit brought him back to the present. His time here was over and he was due to head back to Earth later today. All of his things were packed and somewhere he'd picked up an extra bag, one that was filled with souvenirs for everyone back home. He even had a new book, one that Michael had given him and he was still puzzling his way through.

"Daniel?"

Daniel practically catapulted out of his cozy cocoon of cushions. "Jack! What are you doing here?"

"Gee, I thought I was supposed to deliver our first trade shipments and to pick you up," Jack said, looking at his watch.

Daniel looked at his own watch. "Geez. I guess I let time get away from me."

"You ready to go?"

"Yeah," Daniel said, pulling on his jacket and tidying his room.

Jack was busy looking around the room. "Nice place. Whose is it?"

"Uh, I have no idea," Daniel admitted.

Jack's eyebrows shot toward the sky. "Come again?"

"Basically, I've been encouraged to just curl up and sleep wherever I found myself," he explained. "I've been a guest in every house in the village and when someone realized I was tired and in need of bit of a rest, I ended up here."

"With all your stuff?"

Daniel looked. "Um, good point. Maybe this house is Michael's."

A chuckle drew their attention to the door. "For the time being, it's mine," Michael said as he came in. "I see you found him, Colonel."

"Yeah, people directed me here," Jack said. "How are you, Michael?"

"I'm fine, thanks," Michael said easily. "Have you rested, Daniel?"

"Yep," Daniel said, making sure all of his bags were ready to go. "Where did this extra bag come from, Michael?"

"A gift from the village," he said. "They said you would need it."

Daniel thought about all the things he'd accumulated during his visit and smiled. "They were right."

"They'll be glad to see you carrying it," Michael said. "They're waiting to say goodbye."

Jack blinked. "The whole village?"

"Yes."

"Hoo, boy. This could take all day."

"Just until sunset," Michael corrected. "There's a goodbye party planned."

"Great," Jack said. "I like parties!"

"Jack, I have a feeling that you told HQ that you planned for this," Daniel said as he and Michael helped him carry his bags out.

"Now, Daniel, would I do something like that?"

"Yes," Daniel and Michael said in unison.

"Okay, that's just spooky."

It was a typical village gathering, except that plenty of people came up to either tell Daniel they would miss him or to take his hands in theirs and and tell him goodbye and that they hoped to see him soon. By sunset everyone had said goodbye and some people had said it more than once. As a whole, the village escorted them to the Gate, thanked them for their visit and company, and repeated their wish to have them come again soon. After that came something that was like a massive group hug and then he and Daniel were on their way with their first shipment of medicines for Earth.

"That's a simple goodbye party?" Jack breathed as he and Daniel clunked their way down the ramp at the SGC. "I'm afraid to ask how long a wedding would last."

"Uh, I think several days," Daniel said.

"Woah."

"Welcome back, Colonel, Dr. Jackson," General Hammond said happily as they reached the bottom of the ramp. "Doctor, how was your trip?"

Daniel grinned. He couldn't help it. "Awesome, sir. Could I go back soon?"

Hammond laughed. "I couldn't justify such a long trip again so soon after your return, but I'll keep it in mind for your down time. How is Lieutenant Campbell?"

"Oh, he's great. I have something here for Maya from him. Where's she?"

"Major Carter and Doctor Frasier took her shopping today."

Both men stared at him. "Shopping?"

"Yes, shopping."

"Glad I was elsewhere, then," Jack said.

Hammond fought down another chuckle. "At ease, colonel. Dr. Jackson, we need to debrief after your visit to the infirmary."

"Yes, sir," Daniel said, heading to the right. "See you soon."

* * *

Simmons smiled as he studied the footage that one of his hackers had lifted from the SGC's security system. Dr. Jackson had returned from the planet, looking more relaxed and better than he had for a while. Whatever he'd been up to, it agreed with him. Interesting. He kept his eyes focused on the footage and listened while Dr. Jackson described the planet and its people. Being such an intelligent man he could be counted on to make any number of incisive observations, and Simmons had a feeling that the man wouldn't disappoint him now. It wasn't until after Dr. Jackson had distributed his gifts to his friends, said hello to several people and was back in his office that the breakthrough came.

* * *

_Now I know I have too many books,_ Daniel thought as he tried to find a place to put Michael's gift. _I've run out of shelves. Ah, well._ He put the book on the corner of his desk and tackled the chore of opening his mail. Thank goodness there wasn't much and he was able to sort through it quickly so he could write his report. He had just emailed it to the general when a quick tattoo beaten on his door startled him. He jumped and knocked several items to the floor.

"Heya, Daniel," Jack said, opening the door. "C'mon, you can't wanna work now! It's Friday! Time for some fun!"

"Jack, I just came back from fun," Daniel said patiently, trying to pick up the mess.

"What happened?"

"I knocked all this down when you scared me by beating on the door," Daniel explained. "You know, what has my office door ever done to you?"

Jack laughed and knelt down to help him pick things up. "Well, for a start, it's boring."

Daniel stacked his mail on his desk and turned to pick up the book Michael had given him. It had fallen open to a page near the end and he was on the verge of closing it when...

"What's wrong?" Jack asked, seeing Daniel's intense look.

"I've seen this before," Daniel said, picking up the book. "Hold on!" He pulled open his filing cabinet and started flipping through files, getting two paper cuts before finding the one he wanted.

"Seen what?" Jack asked, thoroughly mystified.

Daniel showed him the page. "This. _This_, Jack. Look familiar?"

Jack looked. "Sorta. So? You've got how many samples of alien writing in this office?"

Daniel pulled out a file and flipped through it. "Found it. Now look at this picture."

Jack put the book and the picture Daniel handed him and examined them both. "This page and the picture...they're identical."

"Exactly!" Daniel said excitedly.

"Where'd this picture come from?" Jack asked, looking at it.

"From the planet where we found Dr. Ernest Littlefield," Daniel said. "Since then we've deciphered Ancient and learned Asgard and we've seen samples of Nox writing, but this is the first match we've found for..."

"No way," Jack said, getting to his feet. "Danny, are you telling me...?"

"Furling, Jack. It's _Furling." _He took the book and read the caption underneath the illustration of the writing. "It says that this is an early sample of writing, back from when their people were still young. We did it, Jack! We found the Furlings!"


	45. Chapter 45

Epilogue

Simmons took a sip of coffee and smiled. For the past week or so he'd been feeling much more relaxed and far more secure in his job. He'd shown the footage lifted from the SGC security files to the higher-ups who had been making his life hell for ages and for the first time in a short eternity; they were complimenting him rather than harassing him. Funds had been assembled quickly and the mission planned and now, here he was, dressed in a reproduction of an SGC uniform. All of the resources, specialists and staff the NID had available had been corralled for this mission and if it was a success, why, the sky was the limit.

It would be simple. Make contact with the Furlings, gain their trust, encourage them to make an alliance and then lock out the SGC. For weeks their cultural specialists had been examining transcripts of Dr. Jackson's descriptions of the Furlings and their world and they felt confident that they would be able to put a positive "spin" on the NID that the Furlings would accept. If the mission succeeded then Earth and the NID would gain a valuable offworld ally who would, eventually, open up offworld technology to their new Earth friends.

He and the other people picked to go on this mission would depart on a refitted Gao'uld ship from one of the NID's bases and they would travel to the nearest viable Stargate location and gate to the Furling homeworld. They would be bringing plenty of things to trade, as well, and the scholars in NID's employ were more than willing to spend a lot of time talking with the Furlings. The Furlings were going to gain everything they already had in their trade agreement with Earth but the NID were willing to offer more. In order to obtain that "more" the Furlings would have to give up a little "more" in exchange.

The symmetry of that was so _nice_, wasn't it?

Simmons finished his coffee, tossed the cup in the trash, and pulled on his jacket as he left the lounge to meet up with everyone else. He was glad that his bosses had decided that he should go on this trip. After all, he had experience with Michael and Michael had seen potential in him. His superiors suspected that Michael had wished to unlock that potential in Simmons and had regretted not being able to, so they were banking on that working to their advantage. It was fully possible that Michael would be willing to spend time with him to give himself a chance to work on that potential, but at the same time it would give Simmons a chance to work on Michael. Simmons had a strong suspicion that if he could get Michael on his side then the rest of the Furlings would follow.

He arrived in command central and grinned as he saw supplies and people getting ready to board the ship. It would be several days at the fastest speeds the ship had available before they got to the Gate they were going to use, but everyone seemed eager to go despite the wait and the inevitable boredom that would follow. They were going into space, after all. That was cool enough to make any amount of boredom worth it.

The man chosen to captain the ship spotted him. "Simmons!"

"Captain," Simmons said, approaching him. "How are things looking?"

"We'll be ready to go as soon as we board," the captain reported. "Me, I can't wait."

"I'm sure," Simmons told him, giving him a clap on the back. "This will be your first time going so far. You feeling up to it?"

"I'm so up I'm in orbit!"

Simmons made a mental note to remind the guy to cut back a bit on the coffee. The guy was practically vibrating with excess energy. Either that or he was so wound up that coffee was unnecessary. Now, if only they could hook the guy up to the engines…doing something like that might give them a power boost that would shave some time off their journey!

A fellow crony from the NID stopped by then, taking him away from the energetic captain. Simmons' colleague congratulated him on being chosen and told him he could expect any amount of support from the higher-ups.

"Oh, good, I'm glad," Simmons said, wondering where that support had been before. "That's good to know."

"Looks like they're boarding," the man said. "Good luck, Simmons."

"Thanks. See you soon."

As he boarded the ship and settled down, Simmons thought about the challenge in front of him and chuckled. Michael had always reminded him of a child in a man's body, despite his strange abilities and perceptions. He doubted it would take him very long before Michael was as devoted to him as he was to Dr. Jackson.

The trip to the Gate took several days as he'd known it would, but once there it took them no time at all to gate to Michael's homeworld. Everyone stood around the Gate, blinking and staring at their surroundings. There were plenty of trees and flowers and a few rocks, but there were no people and no settlement.

"Wouldn't they know the Gate had opened and someone had come through?" one of the scholars asked. "Wouldn't they come to see who it was?"

Simmons thought back to SG-1's first mission to this planet. "SG-1 was here for a few hours before anyone approached them. Let's look around a bit and give them a chance to come and see who's knocking on their door. Setting up a campsite would be a good idea, I think. According to what I've read on this place it'll be night in a few hours."

The captain heard him and began to give orders to those responsible for facilities and supplies. Simmons smiled, glad that things were well in hand.

In short order, camp was set up and some of the more adventurous had begun to explore their surroundings, examining plants and such with keen eyes. Simmons himself stayed at camp where everyone could find him.

It took only two hours before something happened. Simmons was relaxing and looking over their supplies when one of the scouting teams arrived, plus one.

"Who's this?" Simmons asked, looking at the newcomer.

"Found him a few klicks down the river," the team leader reported. "Hasn't told us his name, but he said he wanted to see our camp."

Simmons squelched the urge to throttle the man. True, the planet was populated by Furlings, which to all knowledge, were a peaceful race, but there were rules about showing a strange person your camp! "Hello," Simmons said politely. "I'm Simmons, in charge of this expedition."

The man blinked and looked at him. "Why are you here?"

"Ah, we came here hoping to meet you," Simmons said. "We heard all about you from General Hammond and the SGC."

The man looked at him. There was something unreadable about his expression that was making Simmons uneasy. "You're speaking the truth."

"Well, I should hope so," Simmons said lightly, hoping a little humor would ease the situation.

"But you are keeping some things back," the man said flatly.

Simmons felt his eyebrows shoot toward his hairline. He couldn't remember, but could these people read minds when they were in human form? They looked solid enough but that was never any indication of any alien's ability. "I'm sorry?"

The man turned his head and appeared to be listening to something. "You should take shelter. It will rain soon."

Simmons glanced up at the blue-green sky and saw nothing but a clear, sunny day. "Rain?"

"Soon," the man promised, stepping back. "You may stay for the time being, Simmons. This is not the best time for us to have visitors. We will soon know enough in order to decide."

"Decide what?" the scout leader asked.

"Whether or not to let you stay."

It seemed nobody knew what to make of that and as a light breeze blew through the camp, the Furling disappeared where he stood. The scouts looked around for him, but there was no sign that he'd ever been there.

"Cool," one of the young members said. "Do you think he could teach me how to do that?"

"You'd have to evolve for a couple thousand years or so," Simmons said dryly, wondering about the encounter. What had the Furling meant when he said that it wasn't a good time for visitors? Would there be lots of bad weather? Were they about to hibernate? He sighed, wishing he had more information about their hosts. He was about to suggest a lunch break for everybody when something wet dropped on his head. Two more drops surprised him even more before he looked up and stared at the dark storm clouds that had gathered in only a minute or so. "Everyone get under shelter!" he shouted. "Storm!"

For once, everyone obeyed without a problem. Supplies and equipment were put under shelter and people squeezed into their tents. As Simmons settled into his tent for what would later prove to be a five-hour downpour, he found himself thinking about their visitor and wondering if he had all the information he needed.

* * *

A week later Simmons wondered if this whole trip had been a galactic waste of time. The scout teams wandered about, taking pictures and samples and filming, but they did little more than that. Rarely did the teams meet one of the Furlings, and usually the Furlings would say a polite greeting and disappear, sometimes literally. More than one exploratory team was spooked by that. Mostly, though, the Furlings would come to the camp to look around, ask a few questions of whoever happened to be nearby, and they would go. It was very hard keeping track of how many had come to the camp, who had asked what and what they'd been told and by whom. Michael did not make an appearance, which annoyed Simmons to no end. He'd been hoping to see the Furling and talk to him and hopefully, get him to trust the NID.

A tall order, yes, but the impossible sometimes came true.

"Simmons?"

He jumped from his chair and found himself staring at a young woman. "Yes?"

"I am Naiya," she said.

"You're Furling."

She smiled. "Yes."

"What can I do for you, Naiya?"

"Will you walk with me?"

Simmons had noticed that quite a few of the Furlings seemed to have a need to keep moving. He couldn't remember if Michael had been the same, but every Furling he'd met on this planet so far enjoyed walking around the camp and talking with people. "Certainly."

Naiya did not speak for a few moments as he fell into step beside her. "Why did you come here?" she asked at last. "I can't understand why you came."

How many times would he have to explain this? "We came here hoping to meet your people," he said. "We're hoping to establish an alliance."

"Our people already have an alliance with Earth," she reminded him. "Why do you need another?"

"Well, there are many different groups on our planet," he explained. "Our group would like an alliance, too."

"All of your groups would do better to work together rather than against each other," Naiya told him. "We could teach you."

How could he explain "politics" so she would understand? "It's kind of you to offer, Naiya, but I don't think our people are ready to do away with their groups yet."

"That is sad," she said after a moment.

"Why's that?"

"It means you've stopped learning. Don't your minds get bored?"

"Ahh, no," he admitted. "We have ways of keeping ourselves occupied."

"There's a difference between 'learning' and 'occupied,'" she pointed out. "The one is preferable; the other is make-do. Eventually your minds will stagnate if they're not challenged."

"Do your people continue learning?" he asked, wondering if he was getting a lecture because her people were more "advanced."

"We are always learning, if not about the universe around us, then about each other. That is something your people must learn, Simmons."

"Well, we're trying," he said, trying to switch topics. "Naiya, the day we arrived here someone came to our camp and told us that this was not a good time for you to have visitors. Is it still true?"

"True, yes," she said quietly. "We are learning a great deal, and we are...afraid."

"Of us?" Simmons asked, very surprised.

Naiya shook her head. "No. We live a long time. We are an old species, Simmons. We don't always realize what changes while we are noting other changes. Sometimes we don't think to look for certain changes because we don't expect them." She stopped and looked around. "Simmons, I have been sent to ask if you have a doctor with you."

Simmons stared at her. "Is someone hurt?" What could a human doctor do for a Furling? The only doctor with any experience treating Furlings was Janet Frasier...

"Hurt, no, but...sick. He needs a human doctor. Our healers have tried all the things we know to heal him, but they have not worked. Please, could we talk to your doctor?"

Simmons thanked his lucky stars that two doctors, three medics, and four nurses had come on this mission. "Of course. You can talk to our whole medical staff, if you like. I'll round them up."

Within ten minutes Naiya was talking to the doctors and their staff and a half-hour later Simmons couldn't believe their luck.

"I'll take you to our village, where most of us are staying right now," she told Simmons and the medics. "That is where your patient is. Simmons, if you like you can come along."

"Thank you, I'd like that," he said, thinking, _There's nothing I'd like more._

Once they'd reached the village Simmons couldn't believe how close it had been and he wondered just how the scouting teams had missed it. It was right there, not far from the river and not twenty minutes from camp! If the Furlings had a camouflage technology he hoped they'd share it! Several simple houses shaped like island huts clustered around a central clearing, and in that clearing were a good number of Furlings. Simmons could recognize at least six of them as visitors to the human camp and all of the Furlings were gathered around someone lying down on a bed made up on the ground. The Furlings parted to let the doctors through and Simmons got a good look at their patient.

"Hello, Simmons."

Simmons circled around the group and made his way to the other side of the bed and stared at the man lying in the bed. "Michael? What happened?"

Michael gave him a wan smile. "I haven't been feeling well," he said. "It's good to see you, though. How are you?"

* * *

Jack pounded down the corridor, skidded around the corner, vaulted up the stairs and into the debriefing room.

"The announcement said it was extremely urgent," he said, sliding to a halt, glad to see that the rest of his team were already there. "What's the matter? Everyone okay? Are we under attack? Foothold?"

"None of those," General Hammond said grimly. "The Furling homeworld has just dialled in and we're receiving a radio message."

"Has something happened?"

"I hope not," Hammond said. "Corporal, go ahead and let the audio through."

_"...BODY HAD BETTER PICK UP THE PHONE!"_ blasted over the speakers. _"HELLO? HELLO! WHAT ON EARTH IS WASHINGTON PAYING YOU ALL FOR IF YOU CAN'T KEEP AN EYE ON THE GATE?"_

"Is that who I think it is?" Sam gasped, staring at the Gate.

"Sounds like it," Daniel said, sounding very confused. "What's he doing there, though?"

"We're about to find out," Hammond growled. "Open a channel, Walter."

A few taps of the keyboard and Hammond took the microphone. "Mr. Simmons, this is General Hammond."

A pause. Then, _"IT'S ABOUT TIME! DID YOU FALL ASLEEP AT THE COM OR SOMETHING?"_

"Someone didn't have his morning coffee," Jack muttered.

"I must say, Simmons, I am very surprised at your location and that you're calling us," Hammond continued, ignoring Simmons' grouchiness. "Why are you calling?"

_"WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY!"_ Simmons shouted.

SG-1 all exchanged looks.

"Describe the emergency," Hammond said quickly while Walter grabbed a pad and pencil to take notes.

_"It's a disease, a plague, or...something,"_ Simmons said, sounding frantic. _"So far only Furlings have been affected."_

"What?" Daniel gasped.

"How many are down?" Hammond demanded.

_"Twenty-five in the local village,"_ Simmons reported. _"So far that's been the hardest-hit location. Others have been reported in surrounding locations. Our medical staff has been working on the problem but we don't have the resources to..."_

"I'm getting the picture, Simmons," Hammond said quickly, cursing silently that once again, the NID had put the SGC into a tight spot. "We'll be calling again in..."

_"Look, we need Janet Frasier,"_ Simmons interrupted. _"She's the only human doctor who has any expertise at treating Furlings and none of the Furling healers can do anything! They've already tried everything they can think of!"_

"Not to mention Janet's the best doctor on Earth and Simmons is hoping she can stop this plague before it spreads to him and his little camping buddies," Jack snarled.

"It sounds more like we gave something to Michael and the others caught it from him," Daniel said bleakly. "From my talks with Michael I know that the Furlings are great healers...if they can't take care of something, then..." He trailed off, clearly reluctant to say what he was thinking.

"Understood, Simmons," Hammond said. "I'll contact you in fifteen."

_"Understood. Simmons out."_

Hammond stared at the Gate as the event horizon faded before turning to his team. "What do you think?"

"I hope Simmons catches it," Jack said.

"That's not helpful, colonel."

"It's honest, though," he said. "I think we should send help, sir. I mean, the Furlings are now our allies, and that's pretty awesome. We never thought we'd meet them and they've been pretty good to us several times over. They didn't have to help us, but they did. I figure we owe them one."

"It's not like we're helping Simmons; we're helping an ally," Sam pointed out. "There's a world of difference."

"We have to help them," Daniel said, sounding worried. "Please, general."

"I concur," Teal'c said, at his most impassive. "We must do all we can to help the Furlings."

Hammond surprised them all by putting an arm around Daniel's shoulder and hugging him. "I know, son. Don't worry, we'll help them. SG-1, are you willing to lead the mission? This is not an order, but a request."

"You'd have a hard time keeping me from going, sir," Daniel said quietly.

"I agree with Daniel Jackson."

"I'm more than happy to go," Sam said.

"You'd have to retire me to keep me from going, sir, and even then it wouldn't be a sure thing," Jack added with a grin. "How soon can we move out?"

"I'll brief the doctor and then you'll head out, and I'll notify Maya about the condition of her homeworld," Hammond said. "Gear up."

* * *

Simmons was there to meet them as they went through the Gate. "It's about time you showed up," he muttered. "What took so long?"

"You couldn't expect us to come without our luggage, now, could you?" Jack said lightly.

Janet came up right behind Jack. "Mr. Simmons, how long has everyone been ill?"

"Since before we came," he said. "They didn't tell us until yesterday evening and once our doctors said that they couldn't do anything we called you."

"Boys and girls, this is an example of when you should tell the teacher as soon as something goes _wrong_," Jack said, glaring at Simmons.

"Spare me, colonel," Simmons snapped. "You follow your orders; I follow mine."

"Enough," Daniel said, seeing the two of them getting ready to square off. "Just...lead the way, Simmons."

Simmons looked like a mother duck leading three ducklings in yellow hazmat gear and a Jaffa through the woods toward the village. The village that had looked so busy and vibrant with life on Jack and Daniel's last visit now looked quiet and subdued. Patients were laying on beds set up under the open sky, and Daniel quickly found the one person he'd been dreading to find.

"Hello, Daniel," Michael said, smiling up at his friend. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too," Daniel said. "I just wish it were under better circumstances. How are you feeling?"

Michael gave a wan smile. "I've been better," he said honestly. "How is Maya?"

"She's worried about you and she said to tell you that if you don't get better soon she'll be really upset."

Michael chuckled. "Sounds like she's just fine; that's good."

Daniel sat down on the ground next to Michael's bed. "Michael, how did this happen?"

Michael shook his head. "I don't know," he confessed. "One day I was fine and the next day I was like this."

Janet appeared at Michael's bedside. "Michael, everyone told me that you were the first to become ill," she said. "Can you tell me what your symptoms are?"

"Terrible fatigue," Michael said. "I'm amazed I have enough energy to talk. I didn't know a person could be this tired and still be alive."

"Don't talk like that," Daniel said, clearly frightened for his friend. "We just have to figure out what's wrong with you and fix it."

Michael smiled. "Don't be afraid, Daniel," he said. "If I die, then that is how it's meant to be."

"You're not dead yet!" Daniel choked, distressed.

"What other symptoms have you had?" Janet pressed, wrenching them back to the topic at hand.

"Headache and the fatigue. Aches in my joints. Trouble hearing things that aren't heard with my ears."

"That last...you're saying that it's affecting your Furling senses?"

"Yes."

Janet began to examine Michael, inordinately pleased that he was in his solid form and she could touch him. "Daniel, could you go see what's the hold-up in my workspace? It looks like a traffic jam over there."

Daniel hesitated, reluctant to leave his friend's side.

"Go, Daniel," Michael said. "You can come back right after."

Daniel went.

"I am not sorry he came, but I am sorry that he is so afraid for me," Michael said.

"Daniel wouldn't want you to try to shield him from anything," Janet reminded him. "He wouldn't thank you for that."

"That is why I did not try."

"I'll need to get a blood sample," Janet said, taking out a blood-draw kit. "Hold still, okay?"

His blood looked red like a human's but Janet knew that as soon as she looked at it under her microscope it would be all alien. "Okay, I'm going to go examine this and you get some rest, all right? Call one of us if you need anything."

"I will, thank you."

Janet went to her field lab and found her assistants at their assigned posts and everyone else clustered around. "I'm done examining Michael for the moment, Daniel, if you want to keep him company," she said.

Daniel was out of the shelter like a shot.

"Good idea," Jack said. "He's so wound up I was getting worried."

"Having him here as a bundle of nerves wouldn't do anyone any good," Janet said. "It's better for him to be with his friend so he feels he's doing something." She prepared a slide and stuck it under the microscope before increasing the magnification to examine what she had. Once she got a good look she sighed. "I have a feeling this is going to be a long, hard slog, guys. I'll have to run some more tests to be sure but this appears to be a virus. Looks like a textbook example."

"Crap," Jack muttered. A bacterial infection would have been much easier to treat. Even he knew that.

"Any ideas on what it is yet?" Sam asked.

"Aside from 'nasty,' no," Janet said. She stopped and looked at her patients. "Did anyone tell you why they're out in the open like that?"

"Daniel says that the Furlings believe sunlight during the day strengthens the body and starlight at night heals it," Sam supplied.

"What do they do when it rains?" Jack asked, furrowing his brow.

"Daniel Jackson says they erect a barrier."

"Good to know," Janet said after a brief mental image of her patients being rained on. She glanced at her assistants, who were busy examining blood samples from other patients. With luck, they might have an idea of how to formulate an anti-viral drug that would be effective for them. Without luck...she didn't want to think about it.

* * *

Three days later and they were no closer to an answer, nor were they any closer to finding a drug to treat the disease. No one's condition had worsened, but no one had gotten any better, either. Janet didn't want to admit to herself how frustrating she found that.

"Doc? Shouldn't you get some rest?"

She also didn't want to admit just how annoying Colonel O'Neill had become over the last few days. He fussed over her like a mother hen and it was so irritating that she was close to stabbing him with a scalpel.

"I just had one, colonel," she said, taking another look in the microscope. "How was your recon to the nearest village?"

"Two more have gone down with this bug and reports say that there are at least fifteen more who have caught it in the other villages."

Janet groaned. "Perfect. Just perfect. I've come up against a brick wall, here, colonel. I...I...I can't think of what to do for this or how I can treat it or even what it is beyond a virus! What are we going to do?"

Jack looked as if he'd expected the mini meltdown he'd just witnessed. "What we've been doing so far, Doc. One step at a time. You've been doing all anyone can expect from you. That's all you can do."

"Exactly," she sighed. "That's _all_ I can do, and they need more than that."

"Dr. Frasier?"

Janet looked past the colonel and smiled at the Furling woman. "Hello, Naiya. What can I do for you?"

Naiya shifted from foot to foot. "I think you had better come quickly. Something's changed."

Janet grabbed her medical bag and darted after her, her heart thumping in her chest. If someone had taken a turn for the worse...she didn't want to think about it. She followed Naiya to where a small group had gathered around someone lying on the ground. When they pulled away she froze and stared down at her newest patient.

"Hi, Janet," Daniel said from his supine position.

"Daniel, what happened?"

"Mmmn. Tired. Thought I should lay down."

Janet hurried to examine him and took a blood sample. She rushed back to her field lab to examine it and fought the urge to start swearing. Sudden fatigue was the first symptom of this virus and she could see several viruses in the sample of Daniel's blood. She turned around to see Colonel O'Neill watching her and she didn't know if there was even anything she could say.


End file.
